When conservation organizations decided to take part in the Climate Change Coalition’s county-wide Big Plant, the Door County Land Trust embarked on an alternative initiative. To avoid volunteers gathering in large numbers, the Land Trust gave away free trees and perennial plants for people to plant in their yards. 

Door County Land Trust Director of Charitable Giving, Cinnamon Rossman, says this is the first year they’ve given away trees, and they weren’t sure if people would even be interested. 

The Land Trust held giveaways on four straight weekends, in Sister Bay, Egg Harbor, Brussels, and Sturgeon Bay. Rossman estimates all items were gone within an hour and a half. The giveaway events concluded on Saturday, but are already in the plans for 2022. Rossman now anticipates next year they’ll have to order two to three times more trees, and may even need to take pre-orders.