PalmettoPride announces 2026 Tree Grant recipients

Program Helps Restore South Carolina Tree Canopy One Year After Hurricane Helene 

PalmettoPride has awarded 1,503 trees to 18 organizations in 13 counties through its annual Tree Grant program, offered to municipalities, nonprofits and environmental  groups across South Carolina. 

The grants provide trees for planting in public spaces such as parks and schools, expanding access to  green space for residents statewide. The program is supported through PalmettoPride’s partnership with  the South Carolina Department of Corrections, where horticulture departments propagate the saplings. The  initiative supplies trees for communities while offering inmates hands-on job training. 

PalmettoPride, South Carolina’s anti-litter organization, invests more than $600,000 each year to strengthen  communities through litter prevention and pickup. “Planting trees is more than beautification—it’s  prevention,” said Sarah Lyles, PalmettoPride Executive Director. “When people are proud of their  surroundings, they take care of them. And when they value where they live, they’re far less likely to litter.” 

This year’s cycle concludes just days after the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, which destroyed  nearly a million trees and an estimated 1 to 4 percent of South Carolina’s canopy coverage. Many of the  distributed trees will replace those lost, helping communities restore shade, wildlife habitats and the  ecological benefits that canopies provide. Once mature, the new trees each are expected to sequester  nearly 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, reduce stormwater runoff and air pollution, and enhance  community spaces. 

Since its launch, the Tree Grant program has planted over 30,000 trees in South Carolina, sequestering  nearly seven million pounds of carbon. Grant recipients will pick up their trees on Thursday, October 16,  from 10am to 1pm at the South Carolina Department of Corrections Horticultural Facility, located at 4444  Broad River Road, Columbia. For more information, contact [email protected]. 

About PalmettoPride

Created as a legislative initiative to fight litter and help beautify our state, PalmettoPride  is a 501(3)c nonprofit organization that fights litter in South Carolina by inspiring prevention through education,  supporting enforcement, connecting community groups to resources, and mobilizing volunteers.