Earth Day Kickoff Event
Members of Simply Living were excited to participate in the Earth Day Columbus Kickoff Event hosted by Green Columbus on January 20th at Nocterra Brewing Company near downtown Columbus. It was a great opportunity to get reacquainted with old friends, meet new people, and share our message with members of the green community.
What is Green Columbus?
Green Columbus is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization based in Central Ohio that focuses on sustainability, community engagement, and environmental resilience. Its core activities and initiatives include tree planting & care, tree canopy expansion, community forums, and environmental action.
Expanding Tree Canopy with Strategic Planting
The tree planting program brings people together to grow a healthier, more resilient city by adding trees where they are needed most. This is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to strengthen neighborhoods and improve quality of life.
Green Columbus partners with local schools and community groups to plant native trees, improving air quality, reducing the urban heat island effect, and providing improved stormwater management.
With support from volunteers and the City of Columbus, Green Columbus has planted more than 650 native trees in community spaces across central Ohio including schools, parks, and along roadways in the communities that will benefit most from added tree cover.
The Green Columbus team manages every step of the process, from planning & site preparation to providing trees, tools, & on-site instruction to volunteers, all at no cost to participating groups. During each event, staff share proper planting techniques and offer guidance to ensure every tree is planted with care and set up to thrive for years to come.
Columbus. Photo by Lenn Black
Annual Tree Giveaway
Green Columbus manages community nurseries and distributes thousands of free native trees annually to central Ohio residents, empowering them to take part in shaping greener, healthier communities. The trees begin as small saplings grown and nurtured in the Green Columbus Linden Tree Nursery. By fall, they are ready to be planted in yards, parks, and shared spaces.
When volunteers and residents plant these trees, they are doing more than adding beauty. They are restoring habitat, improving air and water quality, and helping create a more equitable tree canopy across Columbus. Each tree planted strengthens our city’s resilience to heat, flooding, and pollution. Together, these small acts add up to lasting change for generations to come.
Community Forums & Environmental Action
Beyond planting, the group also coordinates the Litter League and other volunteer events focused on cleaning watersheds and restoring local ecosystems.
And every month people who work in the environmental field meet up at informal sessions known as Green Drinks, with a lively mixture of people from non-governmental organizations, academia, government, and business. It’s a great way of catching up with old friends and for making new contacts among the local environmentally conscious crowd.
Earth Day Columbus
Every year, Green Columbus celebrates Earth Month by bringing volunteers together to make a difference in Central Ohio’s environment. It facilitates service sites across the region, each hosted and led by volunteers. After a month filled with tree plantings, litter cleanups, mulch distribution, and community gardening, we wrap up with the Earth Day Columbus Celebration. This free, family-friendly, zero-waste event offers fun activities and opportunities to learn more about and support a greener Central Ohio community. The event will be held this year at the Scioto Audubon MetroPark on Sunday, April 26.
Empowering Central Ohio to Lead in Sustainability
Green Columbus is dedicated to creating a more sustainable and resilient central Ohio by empowering individuals, businesses, & communities to take environmental action. From organizing the city’s largest Earth Day celebration to supporting year-round green initiatives, it fosters grassroots change that improves our shared environment, promotes equity, and builds a thriving, healthy future for all.
