Growing Futures Crew Leader

Apply to lead a Growing Futures Crew

Trees Forever is looking for crew leaders for Cedar Rapids and Des Moines.

Grow your future by getting hands-on job experience, planting, watering and caring for trees, while exploring career options and learning important life skills, such as managing money, team building and more!

Trees Forever’s Growing Futures employment program takes a unique approach to caring for our community’s trees. Through our Growing Futures program, teams of teenagers are employed seasonally to help maintain and grow our urban tree canopy, all while getting work experience in horticulture and conservation and participating in professional development activities and training.  

The Growing Futures program prioritizes neighborhoods in need! The trees Growing Futures plants and cares for go to build and support a more robust and diverse urban forest. Healthy trees reduce stormwater, clean the air, save energy, and studies show they provide us with mental, physical, and financial well-being.

Through Growing Futures, teams of ten individuals will plant and water trees in the Spring and Fall on Saturdays and water and care for trees four days a week during the Summer. Meals are provided during work days in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. With adult supervision and training, these teenagers learn new interdisciplinary skills that will position them better for future careers, education opportunities, and leaders in their communities.

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

Ability to drive a 15-passenger van and/or a pickup truck with attached trailer
Willingness to jump in
Problem solving
Safety consciousness
Delegation
Empowerment
Excellent communication abilities
Passion for working with youth employees
Responsibility
Accountability

To qualify, you must:

Be 19 or older
Have a valid drivers license
Be able to lift heavy objects such as 40 lb. buckets of water

2025 program dates are as follows:

Spring planting season begins mid-April, and goes to the first week of June, every Saturday* from 8:30- 4:30 p.m.

*There is no Growing Futures Memorial Day weekend.

Summer Watering Season begins mid-June and goes to the first week of August, meeting M-F 8:00-1:00 PM. Fridays will be reserved for Professional Development events, where members will participate in educational seminars, hands-on life skills training, and career education opportunities.

**No Growing Futures June 19th and July 4th

Fall planting season begins mid-September, and goes to the first week of November, every Saturday from 8:30- 4:30 p.m.

Apply to lead a Growing Futures Crew below

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This job requires carrying buckets of water. Are you able to walk 500 feet while carrying 40 pounds in each hand?(Required)

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