In early 2024, Park Forest received an Illinois Community Canopy grant of $15,000.00 in partnership with Trees Forever, which supplied the Village with over 100 trees to plant throughout the community.

The Department of Recreation, Parks & Community Health, which applied for and received the grant on the Village's behalf, has been planting the 109 trees ahead of the winter season. The bulk of the trees, 95 of them, are for the parkways, with the other 14 designated for the parks. Director Kevin Adams said that having additional trees would help make Park Forest a better place to live.

"Planting trees is one of the easiest and most sustainable ways to affect the environment positively," Adams said. "Trees contribute to their environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate enhancement, conserving water, preserving soil, and supporting wildlife."

Adams stated that trees play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions. They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, acting as a natural carbon sink and storing carbon within their wood and roots. This process effectively helps mitigate climate change. Therefore, planting trees is considered a key strategy to combat rising carbon levels. The initiative to plant new trees aligns with the Village's Climate Action and Resilience Plan, where Park Forest aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2025.

The staff is planting trees on Hemlock Street as part of the recent street redevelopment project. In addition, crews will plant more trees in Onarga Park during the Community Cleanup and Tree Planting event organized by the Office of Sustainability and the Environment Commission on Saturday, Oct. 12.