New York City’s fourth citywide tree census is officially underway and NYC Parks is looking for Brooklyn volunteers to help document every public tree in the borough.
The tree census, called Trees Count 2025, happens once every 10 years and is the largest volunteer-driven urban forest survey in the country. This year’s effort combines new technology with hands-on community involvement to gather data on tree size, condition and location, information that will shape how and where future plantings happen, especially in underserved neighborhoods.
"Trees Count 2025 represents an incredible opportunity that comes only once a decade—the chance for New Yorkers to directly engage with the forest within our city and to help shape its future," said NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa.
In Brooklyn, volunteers will survey trees in local parks using a mobile app that tracks data in real time. Street trees will be measured using radar detection vehicles and AI-powered tools, making it easier to identify gaps in canopy coverage. The goal is to better protect the borough’s urban forest while expanding its benefits; cleaner air, cooler blocks, improved stormwater drainage and more green space access for all.
At each event, volunteers receive basic training in tree identification and health assessment. Working in teams, they then collect data across assigned park zones. After their initial session, volunteers can continue counting trees independently in smaller Brooklyn parks and green pockets within their neighborhoods.
Resources and tools are available on the Trees Count 2025 Hub, including interactive maps, a tree species guide, and a borough-wide progress tracker. The platform also lets residents share feedback about tree care needs and helps identify communities most in need of expanded canopy coverage.
The 2015–2016 census mapped over 660,000 trees across the city, including hundreds of thousands in Brooklyn alone.
