Bellevue gives away 700 free saplings at Bannerwood Park

Hundreds of Bellevue residents drove home with free saplings Saturday, Oct. 24, after the city handed out roughly 700 preordered trees at Bannerwood Sports Park.

The City of Bellevue said on X on Oct. 27 that the event drew hundreds of people who picked up their saplings. The city thanked volunteers who helped load trees into cars and credited partners Amazon and 300 Trees for making the program possible.

Signups for next year's giveaway are expected to open next summer, the city said.

The annual Tree Giveaway Program, run in partnership with Amazon and 300 Trees since 2021, lets Bellevue residents claim up to two free trees each. Community organizations, schools and multifamily properties can receive up to 20. Recipients also got free watering bags and mulch, along with planting instructions. The city offers its planting guide in English, Spanish and Chinese.

All 700 trees were claimed ahead of the Oct. 24 distribution, according to the city's Tree Giveaway page. A waitlist opened for residents who missed the window, with unclaimed trees going to waitlisted applicants at the end of the event.

The program supports Bellevue's goal of maintaining 40% citywide tree canopy cover. That number masks wide gaps across neighborhoods. While the city as a whole sits at 40%, coverage in some areas drops as low as 11%, according to the city's program page. The city uses data from a 2021 Tree Canopy Assessment to identify priority areas with fewer trees.

Since 2021, the program has distributed over 3,000 trees to residents and community organizations, according to the city's program page. A July press release from the city said partners have provided tree care education to more than 3,900 recipients over that same period.

Trees came in 5-gallon pots and stood between 3 and 8 feet tall. The city recommends planting within two weeks of pickup.

Residents who missed this year's event can sign up for the city's notification list for next year's giveaway. The partner organization 300 Trees also holds a separate free tree giveaway every March.