Growing Futures Teammates

Join the Growing Futures Team

Trees Forever is looking for team members in 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.

Growing Futures Teammates will:

Plant, prune, and water trees
Mulch, tie, and stake trees
Build job experience in arboriculture, horticulture, conservation, and non-profits
Improve professional skills (speaking/communication, leadership, conflict resolution, and more)

Growing Futures Teammates must have:

The ability to carry up to 40 lbs of water/soil
The ability to work well in teams and small groups
Consistent attendance and communication
Age between 14-18
Willingness to dig in the dirt!

Teammates take part in various professional development training throughout the season that may include:

Resume building/writing
Financial literacy
Job shadowing conservation positions
Tree identification
Problem solving and team building
First aid training

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 join a team 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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