Tree Planting and Restoration at Bethany Cemetery

TreeFolks is partnering with the Bethany Cemetery Association to plant trees in Bethany Cemetery. This is a precious 6-acre green space in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. Many ancient trees were lost in the recent hailstorm and need to be replaced.
Project Overview
The Bethany Cemetery Association invites volunteers, donors, and community partners to join us in restoring and preserving one of Austin’s most sacred historic Black cemeteries. On Saturday, December 13, 2025, we will host a Tree Planting and Landscape Restoration Day in partnership with TreeFolks and other local organizations. This project will bring new life to the grounds while honoring the legacy of the veterans, pioneers, and freedmen buried here.
Bethany Cemetery, established in the late 1800s, is the final resting place for soldiers of World War I & II, Buffalo Soldiers, and early African American residents who helped shape East Austin. Many of these graves have stood for over a century, shaded by aging trees that were destroyed in the last storm. This event is part of our long-term preservation plan to restore the landscape, improve environmental sustainability, and create a peaceful, educational space for reflection and heritage tourism.
How Your Support Helps
Your monetary donations, in-kind services, or volunteer hours will directly support:
• Planting new native shade trees to replace lost canopy and provide long-term habitat for wildlife.
• Installing a water tank to be painted by youth muralists to support sustainable watering.
• Landscape restoration, mulching, and removal of invasive vegetation.
•Beautifying and stabilizing gravesites and historical sections.

This tree project will need support for the next three years to stabilize the newly planted trees and landscaping.
Every dollar and every volunteer makes a visible difference — from tools and soil to signage and community outreach.

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