Adopt-A-Tree

Honor a Loved One or Commemorate a Milestone

READY TO ADOPT A Tree?

Tree adoptions show your love for a person or event in your life by making a meaningful dedication in their honor while supporting a vibrant future for the Canal’s tree canopy. By adopting a newly planted tree, you make an intentional commemoration and join together with the High Line Canal Conservancy to fulfill our goal to preserve, protect and enhance the Canal. To adopt your tree:

  1. Fill out the adoption form on this page. Include:
    • Name of recipient
    • Date of adoption (can be the date you fill out the form or another significant date like a birthday, anniversary, holiday, etc.)
    • Preferred tree location using the UniqueID from the Tree Adoption Map on this page (details below)
  2. Within approximately one week, you will receive a confirmation email that your identified tree is available for adoption or if any changes are needed.* The confirmation email will ask if you’d like to provide a short narrative about why you chose to adopt a tree or the person or event you commemorate. We will publish narratives on the Tree Tribute page. We will create a certificate to commemorate your adoption at this time.

*Note: tree adoptions are on a first-come, first-served basis, so if a tree has previously been adopted, we will work with you to find a different tree.

Tree Species for Adoption

The tree species listed below are being planted on the Canal by the Conservancy and may be available for adoption. Click on the species below to learn more.

Tree Adoption Map

See the map for a list of available and adopted trees.

TREE ADOPTION FORM & PAYMENT

To make your donation go further, please consider paying by check to avoid credit card processing fees. To pay by check:

  1. Complete the Tree Adoption PDF (interactive fields can be filled out in your PDF viewer and saved OR printed and filled out by hand)
  2. Email the PDF to donations@highlinecanal.org OR print the completed PDF and mail it with your check
  3. Make all checks out to the ‘High Line Canal Conservancy’
  4. Mail your check to 4010 E Orchard Rd, Centennial, CO 80121

Alternatively, we accept secure online payments. To make your payment online, please fill out the following form.

Want to speak with Conservancy staff about your adoption? Reach out to donations@highlinecanal.org.

Your donation will support our mission to preserve, protect and enhance the High Line Canal and may be deductible to the extent permitted by law. Please consult your attorney or tax advisor for details. The High Line Canal Conservancy is a designated 501(c)(3) organization. EIN #81-4337938.

DO YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT ADOPTING A tree ON THE CANAL? SEE ANSWERS TO OUR MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

The hang tag can include the name of the adoption recipient and a QR code with a link to our Tree Tribute webpage. We will permanently recognize adoptions on the Conservancy’s tree adoption web map, which also includes the name of the adoption recipient. If you choose to share a narrative, it will be on the Conservancy’s tree tribute page.

To adopt a tree:

  1. Review the map on this page and select an available tree that you want to adopt.
  2. From the map, copy the “UniqueID”
  3. Provide tree adoption information via the form on this page, ensuring to include:
    • Unique ID for the tree you would like to adopt
    • Date you would like printed on the adoption certificate (some folks like to list birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, etc. depending on the reason for adoption; if no date is provided, we will list the purchase date)
    • Honoree name (who the tree adoption is for)
  4. Also, complete the payment information via the form on this page.
  5. Hit the “Give Securely” button to complete the transaction.

Adoptions will be on a first-come, first-served basis. If someone adopted the tree you wanted just before you, Conservancy staff will reach out to help find a different tree.

When your adoption is confirmed, you will be asked via email if you’d like to provide a short narrative about why you’ve chosen to adopt a tree or the person or event you’ve decided to commemorate. We will create a certificate to commemorate your adoption at this time and reach out when the certificate is available for pick-up.

Please note: Narratives that contain subject matter that does not align with the Conservancy’s values and mission are subject to review by the Conservancy’s Board of Directors. In its sole discretion, the High Line Canal Conservancy reserves the right to refuse to publish any narrative.

The Conservancy will monitor the trees’ health for the first five years. If your adopted tree does not survive, the Conservancy will transfer your adoption to another tree. Pending availability, your transfer tree will be in a similar geographic location. Trees that survive the establishment period of five years have a significantly higher likelihood of surviving.

Conservancy tree planting projects consist of two primary planting approaches:
1) Non-native, xeric trees that will be truck irrigated for three – five years, and
2) Native, riparian trees planted near the Canal channel that will be truck irrigated for three – five years and then rely on the presence of stormwater to sustain.

The species of trees in each category are listed below:

Xeric Tree Species

Catalpa speciosa | Western Catalpa

Celtis occidentalis | Common Hackberry

Gleditsia triacanthos | Thornless Honeylocust

Gymnocladus diocius | Kentucky Coffeetree

Quercus macrocarpa | Bur Oak

Quercus muelenbergii | Chinkapin Oak

Quercus shumdardii | Shumard Oak

Riparian Tree Species in Stormwater Areas

Acer negundo | Sensation Boxelder

Populus angustifolia | Narrowleaf Cottonwood

Populus sargentii | Plains Cottonwood

In addition to Conservancy tree plantings, local governments along the Canal are planting trees that may be made available for adoption. The species in local government plantings vary and may differ from the Conservancy species. View the map on this page for more information about the trees available for adoption.

The Plan for the High Line Canal recommends planting an average of 50 new trees per mile over 15 years from 2019 to 2034. The Conservancy is raising funds to plant up to 1,750 of the proposed 3,500 new trees.

When the Conservancy plants a new tree, we are responsible for watering and caring for the tree for the first five years. After this time, supplemental irrigation ceases, and the tree is left to establish itself independently. When local governments plant trees on the Canal, they are responsible for watering and caring for the tree. The approach to watering varies by jurisdiction.

Adopt-A-Tree Summary

  • Donation: $500 per tree
  • Includes:
    • Previously planted young tree
    • Adoption recognition on a digital map
    • Certificate of adoption (example)
    • Adoption tag on tree along the Canal for 6 months
  • Location: View the map on this page to see currently available locations
  • Duration: Lifetime of the tree