More TREES, PLEASE!
This past Saturday, October 18, 2025, the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC) hosted the third Nuestros Bosques planting event of the month at Manton Heights. Volunteers and staff planted trees, understory plants, and shrubs across two beds totaling 1,680 square feet, helping restore green space and strengthen the local ecosystem.
Around 20 volunteers joined the effort, including WRWC staff Layla Farahbakhsh, Kuno Haimbodi, Andrew, Henry, and Ricardo, as well as youth and adults from Manton Heights, community members recruited from the street, Eventbrite attendees, and five Campeones. Together, they planted six trees, 24 understory plants, and 38 sub-shrubs, then moved 12 yards of mulch to finish the beds.
Despite some initial confusion about the Eventbrite location, pink flagging and a marked map helped guide everyone from the trail entrance. Volunteers worked quickly and efficiently, finishing the planting in just over an hour and a half.
“This is just the beginning,” said Layla Farahbakhsh, WRWC’s Nuestros Bosques Program Coordinator. “It’s really great to bring people out to an area they know and connect them in a deeper way. We look forward to building momentum with more events like this — planting trees in underserved areas and giving residents more agency over their green spaces.”
Manton Heights is the third in a series of fall Nuestros Bosques events, part of WRWC’s community-driven urban forestry program along the Woonasquatucket River Greenway. Funded by federal climate and infrastructure support, the initiative plants trees and understory vegetation, trains local stewards, and expands green spaces that provide shade, improve air quality, reduce flooding, and support wildlife.
Thank you to everyone who came out to plant, mulch, and help grow a greener Manton Heights! Your time and energy are helping build a healthier urban forest and a stronger, more connected community.