BEMIDJI — All 10,000 free seedlings from Reforest Bemidji have been reserved through pre-orders.
Within a few days of announcing the free tree program, Let's Plant Trees' website was plastered with "sold out."
But organizers still expect trees to be available for first-come, first-served pickup Sunday, May 17, starting at 10 a.m. at the Sanford Center. Any seedlings that were reserved but not picked up Saturday, May 16, will be available until gone.
"This is all about Bemidji," Mick Nicklow, co-founder of Let's Plant Trees, said in a news release. "We wanted to create something that makes it easy for residents to take action and be part of a larger effort to reforest Bemidji."
The Reforest Bemidji initiative was created to restore the canopy Bemidji lost in the major windstorm last summer. It received support from local partnerships, such as Otter Tail Power Co. and First National Bank Bemidji.
"The incredible response to Reforest Bemidji demonstrates the power of this community," said Stephanie Hoff, president of the Otter Tail Power Co. Foundation, in the release.
"Our Foundation is proud to support an effort that not only helps rebuild Bemidji's tree canopy, but also brings neighbors together and creates a visible, lasting impact for generations to come."
Nicklow and his wife, Carrie, started Let's Plant Trees in 2023 with 500 seedlings. The goal is simple: give people free, native trees and information on how to plant them.
The number of seedlings distributed each year continues to grow, with a total of 50,000 this year.
While all trees have been reserved, additional leftover tree pickup dates are planned for May 23 in Two Harbors, May 24 in Grand Marais, May 30 in Grand Rapids, May 31 in Virginia, June 6 in Ely and June 7 in Lutsen.
