Our History
The Roots of Greenscape
In 1975, joined by their desire to improve the Jacksonville landscape, a small group of citizens began the not-for-profit organization Greenscape of Jacksonville, Inc. The organization’s first project focused on the Downtown area. Cooperating with the City of Jacksonville through the Jacksonville Downtown Development Authority, Greenscape planted 250 commemorative trees along Downtown sidewalks. The rest, as they say, is history!
Greenscape gradually directed its focus outward from the center of the city, sharing the responsibility of tree planting in the Jacksonville area with interested neighborhood and community groups. Today, the organization is credited with over 350,000 trees added to our local canopy. In addition to its own tree planting projects, Greenscape enthusiastically embraces its role as a catalyst for change. The organization regularly approaches neighborhoods, institutions and governmental agencies with exciting and innovative projects.
Greenscape sets the environmental standard in Jacksonville through its active participation at all levels in issues pertaining to trees. By working with the City of Jacksonville in an advisory capacity to establish the City’s Landscape Ordinance, serving on the Mayor’s Environmental Advisory Committee, JEA’s Tree Coalition, and the Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Commission, Greenscape continues to expand awareness of the importance of our tree canopy to the health and economic well-being of our community. The organization has received numerous awards and recognition at the local, state and national levels.
Our History
Timeline
1975
Ann Baker and Susan Fisher Davis establish Greenscape of Jacksonville.
1976-86
Greenscape’s first trees are planted on the streets of Downtown Jacksonville.
1987
Greenscape hosts its first Flowering Tree Sale.
1990
Trees are planted on Roosevelt Boulevard, Riverside Avenue, Springfield Park and San Marco Boulevard.
1991
Trees are planted at a HabiJax house raising and St. Mary’s Church in Springfield.
1992
1,500 historic trees are planted at 92 Duval County Public Schools; 1,500 more trees are planted at the Prime Osborn Convention Center and I-95; and several hundred trees are planted on St. Johns Avenue in Riverside.
1993
4,500 trees are planted at Heckscher Drive and I-95, as well as Grand Avenue in Ortega and King Street in Riverside.
1994
7,500 trees are planted at the stadium approach and interchange; hundreds more are planted on Stockton Street, Atlantic Boulevard and Beach Boulevard.
1995
Greenscape completes the “Greening” of Herschel Street in Riverside and 300 crepe myrtles in the Moncrief area.
1996
1,400 mixed trees and 119 palm trees are added to the slopes of the Acosta Bridge; 62 new HabiJax homes at Royal Terrace receive trees. JEA and Greenscape enter a tree-planting partnership – Green Releaf.
1997
Greenscape’s “Urban Tree Ranger” event teaches proper planting and pruning techniques.
Greenscape creates a true boulevard to the beaches on Atlantic Boulevard.
1998
The “Greenscape for a Greener Jacksonville” exhibit debuts at MOSH.
1998 Volunteers commit to “Taking the Bland out of Blanding Boulevard” by planting trees, shrubs and groundcover on two miles.
2000
Greenscape and Citizens for Tree Preservation claim victory in the historic vote to strengthen minimum standards for tree protection, conservation and mitigation in Duval County.
HabiJax completes its largest buildout of 100 homes at Fairway Oaks; Greenscape plants trees at each site.
2001
Greenscape partners with Ronald McDonald House Charities to landscape a new Ronald McDonald House on Nira Street.
2004
Greenscape creates and builds an outdoor classroom at LaVilla School of the Arts.
2007
The “Great Greenscape Tree Giveaway” distributes 20,000 trees to Jacksonville residents.
2009
Greenscape hosts its first Root Ball fundraiser.
2011
Greenscape Celebration Park is christened.
2015
Greenscape plants 50 trees at all five campuses of FSCJ in celebration of the college’s 50th anniversary.
2016
Greenscape presents “The Blue Trees” art installation, drawing attention to the importance of trees at five locations in Jacksonville.
2017
The Flowering Tree Sale becomes the Greenscape Tree Festival and Giveaway.The Flowering Tree Sale becomes the Greenscape Tree Festival and Giveaway.
Greenscape plants “One Tree Per School” for DCPS and Jacksonville’s City Council through a joint collaboration.
2018
CSX sponsors the free distribution of 600 trees.
2019
Boise Paper sponsors a planting at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and distributes 500 free trees to the surrounding neighborhood.
2020
Greenscape partners with Wingard to refresh its brand identity and website.
Our History
Achievements
- 280 green ash trees along five miles of Roosevelt Boulevard (U.S. 17), from McDuff Avenue to Timuquana Road.
- 312 live oaks, dogwoods and crepe myrtles along Riverside and St. Johns Avenues, Herschel and Park Streets.
- Significant plantings of Bradford pear trees and crepe myrtles along San Marco Boulevard and Hendricks Avenue.
- More than 40 trees planted along the Atlantic Boulevard median between Gay and Arletha.
28 years of Greenscape’s Annual Flowering Tree Sales, providing wholesale priced quality trees to the public. - 3,000 trees planted by area school children, faculty, and volunteers on the grounds of public schools.
90 palm trees planted at the perimeter of Jessie Ball duPont park in Downtown, in honor of the Florida Sesquicentennial celebration. - More than 100 sycamores, crepe myrtles and bald cypress planted at HabiJax homes.
- Nearly 14,000 trees planted along Jacksonville’s urban highways in Greenscape’s Baby Trees project: 1,500 at I-95 and the Prime Osborn Convention Center; 4,500 at I-95 and Heckscher Drive; 7,500 at TIAA Bank Field; and 1,400 at the south approach of the Acosta Bridge.
- California Date Palms, crepe myrtles, and ground covers on a mile of medians along Atlantic Boulevard, from Mayport Road to Third Street, creating a gateway to the Beaches communities.
- Creation of “Green Releaf,” a partnership between JEA and Greenscape.
- Trees, shrubs, and grasses installed at I-10 and U.S. 17 interchange.
- Established an award-winning Urban Tree Ranger Program, teaching volunteers pruning techniques.
- Accomplished model project for “Right Tree, Right Place” on Herschel Street.
- Numerous nonprofit partnerships, such as Ronald McDonald House Charities, the ARC, HabiJax, The First Tee, Pace Center for Girls, Operation New Hope, and Jacksonville Housing Partnership.
- Partnered with the National Football League to initiate the first carbon-neutral major sport event by planting 1,000 trees in The Green Zone: Super Bowl XXXIX Carbon-Neutral Forest at UNF.
- 2007 Great Greenscape Tree Giveaway distributed 20,000 free trees to the public.
Our History
Awards
2020
TD Bank Earth Day Award – Florida
2017
Florida Urban Forestry Council Outstanding Project Award
2016
Ninah May Holden Cummer Award
Garden Club of America Zone Civic Improvement Commendation
Garden Club of America Civic Improvement Commendation
Florida Urban Forestry Council Outstanding Project Award
2014
Northeast Florida Nonprofits Collaboration & Innovation Award – Green Releaf
2007
Trees Florida Outstanding Tree Advocacy Group Award
2006
Alliance for Community Trees/Home Depot Foundation NeighborWoods Award
2001
Excellence in Outcome Achievement Award – City of Jacksonville
1998
Florida Urban Forestry Council Outstanding Volunteer Organization
1997
Mimi and Lee Adams Environmental Award
Florida Urban Forestry Council Certificate of Excellence
1996
Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Downtown Enhancement Award
1994
Jax Pride Site Improvement Award – Baby Tree Planting
Jax Pride Event Award – Flowering Tree Sale
1993
Jax Pride Group Environmental Award
Jax Pride Event Award – Flowering Tree Sale
1991
Florida Urban Forestry Council Civic Award
1989
Arts Assembly of Jacksonville Environmental Award
1984
Volunteer Jacksonville Volunteer Award/Organizations
American Institute of Architects Design Recognition Award
1980
Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Design Beautification Award