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Planting Hope, Preserving Legacy
The Alliance for Cape Fear Trees (ACFT) is a dedicated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization rooted in Wilmington, NC, with a mission to preserve, protect, and plant trees to enhance the quality of life for all in the Lower Cape Fear region.
Thanks to your unwavering support, by the end of this planting season, we will have:
About Us
Since our founding in 2015, ACFT has become a trusted leader in urban forestry—not only advocating for smarter policies and protections, but actively planting, maintaining, and stewarding trees across the Cape Fear region. We address the urgent challenges of canopy loss caused by severe storms, rapid development, and climate change through hands-on work, long-term care, and deep-rooted community partnerships.
Arbor Advocacy
ACFT champions the preservation of mature forests, old-growth trees, and natural areas, recognizing their irreplaceable role in maintaining resilient ecosystems—and the clean water, wildlife corridors, and natural storm buffers they provide.
These advocacy efforts are crucial to safeguarding the region’s environmental legacy.
Tree Equity
We use data-driven tools to identify and invest in the neighborhoods most in need—where tree cover is lowest, temperatures are highest, and the need for shade and green space is greatest.
By prioritizing planting and care in underserved areas, we promote tree equity, ensuring every neighborhood experiences the environmental, health, and economic benefits of trees. Our work helps correct historic disparities in green infrastructure that trace back to policies like redlining and Jim Crow-era zoning, which left many Black and low-income communities without adequate tree canopy.
We're not just planting trees. We're fostering trust, healing generational wounds, and ensuring all residents have access to the comfort, beauty, and protection of a healthy urban forest.
Environmental Education
Trees are linked to stronger learning outcomes and student well-being—supporting attention, encouraging physical activity, and helping reduce respiratory illness–related absences. The Alliance works with educational partners—Williston Middle School, GLOW Academy, D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy, Friends School of Wilmington, and Peace Rose Montessori—to plant trees in spaces where children learn, explore, and play.
Beyond school grounds, ACFT connects the broader community to urban forestry through workshops, walking tours, and events—teaching why trees matter, how to care for them, and the role they play in our region. We believe lasting environmental change begins with informed, engaged learners rooted in their local landscape.
Healthy Communities
Our work is rooted in the belief that trees are public health infrastructure. Expanding canopy coverage helps reduce cardiovascular, respiratory, and heat-related illness and death, in addition to improving both physical and mental health outcomes.
In a warming climate, trees serve as natural air conditioners and reduce heat islands. Located in a coastal area already vulnerable to storm surge and extreme temperatures, trees in the Lower Cape Fear region absorb pollutants and intercept stormwater that would otherwise contribute to flooding and water contamination.
Their presence encourages outdoor activity, improves cognitive performance, lowers crime rates, and reduces stress hormones. By planting trees where they are needed most, the Alliance nurtures not just our environment—but our collective well-being.
It Takes More Than Trees
POWER THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PLANTINGS
The Alliance is most visible when we’re handing out free native trees, planting in our community, and caring for our inventory of 400+ trees throughout the city of Wilmington. But behind the scenes, we’re working every day to advocate for our urban forests and our region’s natural areas.
While grants fund our trees, they don't fund our people. Help us carry out our mission and support those behind the mission.
Our strong community partnerships bolster the region’s resilience against urban heat islands, poor air quality, and stormwater challenges. Together, we’re creating a healthier, more sustainable environment—one tree at a time.