Save the elms

Take a walk, save a tree

SacTree's Save the Elms Program - Take a walk, save a tree

Background

Nearly 1,800 elms define our skyline as some of the largest and most historic trees in Sacramento. Since the 1870s, they've lined our streets, helping to grow our reputation as the City of Trees.

But elms have been in danger for awhile. Threatened by the incurable Dutch elm disease (DED), these gigantic trees require vigilant monitoring to preserve their lifespans and the wide range of benefits they provide.

We've partnered with City of Sacramento Urban Forestry to train community scientists to monitor these trees and help prevent the spread of DED.

Get involved

If you live, work, or play in the city of Sacramento, monitoring public elms is an easy way to give back to the urban forest that brings so many benefits to our neighborhoods.

For a small and flexible time commitment over the summer, you'll gain the satisfaction of helping to preserve some of Sacramento's largest, most historic, and iconic trees so Sacramentans can continue enjoying the environmental, health, and social benefits they provide.

From May through September, you'll monitor public elm trees in the city of Sacramento — on your own time and as much or as little as your schedule allows.

How it works

  1. Training Part 1: watch the below recorded trainings to learn how to identify Dutch elm disease and how to report it through a web app on your smartphone.
  2. Sign up through the form below.
  3. Training Part 2: After watching the video, register to attend the in-person training Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.: https://bit.ly/steptraining24
  4. Take some walks and save some trees!


Sign up as a community scientist

All are welcome to watch our training materials to learn more about elms and Dutch elm disease, but to participate in monitoring, volunteers need to be able to visit the elms in Sacramento in person to look for symptoms of DED. 













Frequently asked questions