Two neighborhoods. One decision.
A few years ago, a city contractor cut down a beloved tree on the riverbank in Riverside. No warning. No replacement. Just a stump. The neighbors grieved it the way you grieve something you didn't know you'd miss until it was gone.
Around the same time, residents in Delano learned that a developer planned to clear 50 mature trees from a greenspace in their neighborhood. Those neighbors organized. They pushed back. They won. That greenspace is now named Millwood Park.
Those two moments, a tree lost and a grove saved, are the reason ICT Trees exists. We incorporated in March 2023. The IRS granted us 501(c)(3) status five months later. By April of that year, the Mayor of Wichita had signed a proclamation recognizing our work.
ICT Trees is dedicated to the preservation and expansion of Wichita's tree canopy. Through collaborative efforts, education, and hands-on initiatives, we strive to protect existing trees and foster growth of new ones.
Three ways we're doing it.
Preservation
Some of Wichita's trees have been standing for a hundred years. When a mature tree comes down, it can't be replaced overnight. We monitor threats, show up at city council, and push for policies that treat existing trees as the city assets they are.
Expansion
The neighborhoods that face the worst summer heat also have the fewest trees. We distribute native shade trees, free of charge, to homeowners in Wichita's most heat-vulnerable zip codes. Each tree comes with mulch and planting guidance.
Education
We lead tree walks with certified arborists, speak to neighborhood associations and faith communities, and help residents understand what's growing in their yards. Knowledge is what makes a tree last.
This is what's happening to our city.
The data is local, specific, and collected by people who care about Wichita. This is not a climate abstraction. It's your neighborhood.
Wichita's urban tree canopy fell from 22% in 2018 to 18% in 2022. That's one of the sharpest recorded declines among comparable American cities.
That's roughly nine trees a day, every day, after replanting is counted. The city plants. The city also loses. The math hasn't been working.
NASA data identifies 67214 and 67208 as Wichita's most heat-vulnerable zip codes. These are also historically redlined neighborhoods with low canopy coverage.
A mature shade tree can lower the air temperature around it by up to 10 degrees. In a Kansas summer, that is not a small thing.
Our vision is to create a greener, healthier and more sustainable future for Wichita, where the benefits of a thriving tree canopy are enjoyed by generations to come.
We haven't been sitting still.
Mayor Whipple signed a proclamation.
Five months after incorporating, ICT Trees was officially recognized by the City of Wichita at the Urban TreeFest. Mayor Brandon Whipple signed a proclamation honoring our work to preserve and promote the city's canopy.
Wichita passed its first Tree Canopy Policy.
We testified at City Council and witnessed the vote. Wichita now has a formal policy specifying tree planting requirements for city development. Our advocacy is part of how that happened.
213 trees. Every recipient said yes.
We've distributed 213 native shade trees across three events, all free, all in Wichita's most heat-vulnerable neighborhoods. Our 2024 post-distribution survey came back with a Net Promoter Score of 100.
We're just getting started.
Our 2026 distribution put 100 trees in the ground. We've proposed a six-event, three-year program to the City of Wichita. The goal is to grow this into something the whole city can feel.
Help us keep Wichita growing.
Whether you want to volunteer, bring ICT Trees to your neighborhood, or help fund the next distribution, there's a place for you here.