Community invited to celebrate UK Tree Week 2026

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 2, 2026) — From climbing into the canopy of a campus white oak to planting trees for future generations, the University of Kentucky community will celebrate the many ways trees strengthen people, places and ecosystems during Tree Week 2026, Oct. 9-18.

Started by the UK Urban Forest Initiative (UFI) at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment in 2018, Tree Week is Kentucky’s annual celebration of urban and community forestry. Each October, communities across the state come together to honor trees and explore their essential contributions to healthy, vibrant communities.

Through several events, Tree Week connects Kentuckians with nature and highlights the many benefits trees provide, such as cooler neighborhoods, improved air quality and reduced stormwater runoff.

“Tree Week celebrates all things trees and is a reminder to embrace their importance to human and global well-being,” said Lynne Rieske-Kinney, Ph.D., co-founder and co-lead of UFI. “What began with the Urban Forest Initiative on the UK campus and in Lexington, Tree Week has spread across the state, with dozens of tree-centric events in communities from Pikeville to Paducah.”

On the UK campus, the statewide celebration will take shape through UK TreeFest, this year’s signature Tree Week event. Scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, near the Kirwan-Blanding complex and Ingels Hall, the event will bring together UFI, UK Sustainability, Canopy Cats, Campus Recreation and UK Grounds for tree climbing, tree planting and sustainability outreach. 

Participants can learn about the equipment and techniques used to climb trees safely with Canopy Cats and Campus Recreation, then experience climbing a rope into the large white oak. Students may also help UK Grounds’ arboriculture team plant six native trees in campus locations approved by Campus Planning and UK Grounds. Sustainability-focused student organizations will share information and opportunities throughout the afternoon. The UK Student Sustainability Council funds the tree planting.

“We want students to begin thinking about how they can be good campus and environmental stewards,” said Carlie Laughlin, sustainability program coordinator with UK Sustainability. “We’re hopeful that this opportunity to engage directly in creating and caring for the campus landscape will inspire a deeper sense of connection to these spaces and a greater sense of responsibility for the environment.”

The celebration continues at The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky, where Arbor Day, held Oct. 17, anchors a week of opportunities to learn from and care for trees. Activities include guided tree walks, a seed propagation workshop, tree plantings, tree giveaways while supplies last, and an introduction to using the free iNaturalist app as a conservation tool. The Arbor Day programs, presented by Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities Foundation, invite visitors to explore Kentucky’s trees while gaining ideas and skills they can use in their own communities.

“From the simple relaxation induced by a walk through the woods to the immeasurably important ecosystem services they provide, trees are well worth celebrating as a community on Arbor Day at The Arboretum,” said Michael Wall, director of The Arboretum. “Every year we are proud to give away trees on Arbor Day, allowing visitors to extend the celebration and stewardship into their own neighborhoods and communities all year long.”

Event details, registration information and The Arboretum’s complete schedule are available at arboretum.mgcafe.uky.edu.

Other events on or near campus offer additional ways to participate, beginning with a Tree Week kickoff program on the eve of the official celebration. UK professor emeritus Dan Potter will present “Bee Banquets in the Sky,” a program about pollinator conservation, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, in the Davis Marksbury Hardymon Theatre. Tree Week Trivia begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Blue Stallion Brewing, and “Forest Bugs and Brews” will bring a live insect zoo, displays and children’s activities to Mirror Twin Brewing at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.

UK students, faculty and staff may attend a screening of “Princess Mononoke” at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, in Room 106 of the White Hall Classroom Building. A UK ID is required. UK Libraries will also offer a virtual book club exploring 150 years of literature, poetry and material art centered on the elm tree. Registration is required.

For the full Tree Week calendar across Kentucky, visit TreeWeekKentucky.org.