Texas Tree Foundation, Arbor Day Foundation and Clayton Team Up for Sustainability

In December 2022, the Texas Trees Foundation partnered with Clayton Home Building Group to plant 50 trees at Gray Branch Park in McKinney, Texas as part of their Branching Out program. The event also contributed to Clayton's initiative with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 2.33 million trees.

The planting at Gray Branch Park offered an opportunity for Clayton Bonham and Sulphur Springs team members to get involved and fulfill the Clayton company values to Do good through community involvement and to Drive change in support of sustainability.

“At Clayton, our commitment to being an environmentally conscious builder extends beyond the homes we build to the planet we call home,” said William Jenkins, Clayton Director of Environment and Sustainability. “We are proud of our team members who participated in this tree planting event to give back to their local community.”

Texas Trees Foundation has been a catalyst in the greening of North Central Texas since 1982. “The work we’re able to accomplish with our partners is very valuable. The new trees not only provide benefits for park goers, but they also help increase tree canopy coverage and mitigate urban heat,” said CEO of Texas Tree Foundation Janette Monear. “With the support of our partners in the Branching Out program, our communities will be cleaner, greener, cooler and healthier for generations to come.”

“One of the things the Arbor Day Foundation does best is to help local planting partners take meaningful action in their community to plant trees,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We plant trees to improve the lives of people around us. We’re happy to help Texas Trees Foundation foster a sense of community pride by planting trees.”

Trees offer vast benefits for the community at large. Thriving urban forests can help bolster human health, from encouraging physical activity to reducing respiratory illnesses stemming from air pollution. Trees filter the air removing pollution, which can help improve a city’s overall air quality. They also reduce runoff of sediment, pollutants, and organic matter into streams, improving our water quality. Trees have also been shown to reduce crime, lower stress levels and develop community pride.

To learn more about this event, visit www.texastrees.org/projects/branchingout.