Youngstown Volunteers Plant 1,750 Trees in Mill Creek
About 100 Youngstown State University students and community members planted native trees in Mill Creek Park in two shifts.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Environmental
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Approximately 100 Youngstown State University students and community members planted 1,750 trees in Mill Creek Park on November 12, 2026, as part of the Legacy Forests initiative. The planting used 19 species of native American trees across a 10-acre site.
Why it matters
The stated goal of the Legacy Forests initiative is to reduce greenhouse gases and promote healthy soil and water in Youngstown. The project plans to plant one tree for each incoming freshman, and it has now planted more than 11,000 trees since launching in 2020.
The planting used 19 native American tree species across a 10-acre site in its third year of operation at this location. The source does not report survival rates for the newly planted trees.
The players
Youngstown State University
A public university in Youngstown, Ohio, which organizes the Legacy Forests initiative and its community tree plantings.
The details
Volunteers worked in two shifts on a cool, rainy day to plant the trees in Mill Creek Park. The planting was organized as part of the Legacy Forests initiative led by Youngstown State University.
Timeline
2020: Legacy Forests project launched.
November 12, 2026: 1,750 trees planted in Mill Creek Park.
Next year: Planting site expected to move to another location.
Seasonal Patterns
The Legacy Forests initiative has now run three planting seasons at the same 10-acre Mill Creek Park site since its 2020 launch. Its cumulative total of more than 11,000 trees places this November planting within a multi-year effort to build a native forest canopy in Youngstown.
Residents who use Mill Creek Park can expect the planted area to grow as the trees mature over the coming years. The initiative's plan to plant one tree for each incoming freshman means the park's canopy is expected to expand with each new class.
The takeaway
Community tree planting at Mill Creek Park adds native species to the local landscape, and volunteers can follow the Legacy Forests initiative's annual planting schedule to take part.
What happens next
The planting site is scheduled to move to another location next year.
Further reading
For more on local conservation efforts, explore Environmental coverage tied to Youngstown.
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