Raleigh tops every “best places” list, but our popularity has come at a cost. Thousands of acres of trees have fallen to make room for the people wanting to call the City of Oaks home.

The 24K Trees Campaign is our answer: plant 24,000 native trees by Raleigh’s 240th birthday in 2032. The idea grew from the Parks Department’s Leaf Out program, which works to expand the city’s urban forest. When local nonprofits Audubon NC, We Plant It Forward, and Trees for the Triangle brought their expertise together, a feasible plan took root, earning formal City Council support on March 17, 2026.