Adams County Planting Partnership
A joint initiative of the Watershed Alliance and the Adams County Conservation District
—and you!
ACPP Native Tree and Shrub Seedlings are Back!
Now that the incredibly successfulChesapeake Bay Foundation'sKeystone 10 Million Trees Partnership has officially wrapped up, the Adams County Planting Partnership (ACPP) has shifted to a self-sustained local model. The ACPP, a joint project of theWatershed Alliance of Adams County, theAdams County Conservation District, and the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners and Watershed Stewards, launched a new volunteer grower initiative to continue providing native tree and shrub seedlings to local residents. Local volunteers have planted, watered, and nurtured tree and shrub seeds into tree and shrub seedlings! Their hard work has grown into close to 4,000 trees and shrubs. A huge thank you to all of the volunteers that planted and fostered the seedlings!!
Those seedlings will be available to be requested by Adams County residents beginning on Sunday, September 27th. Over 30 species will be offered to the public, some new and some returning favorites, including new varieties of pines. This initiative is home-grown and supported fully by the Adams County Conservation District and the Watershed Alliance of Adams County. In the past, the tree and shrub seedlings were offered at no cost to residents but in order to continue this program, ACPP is requesting those receiving seedlings consider a nominal donation of support ($1 to $2 per seedling).
ACPP has to date distributed over 98,000 seedlings to Adams County residents. We hope you will be part of the celebration as we reach the 100,000 mark for seedlings distributed. These seedlings, once planted, will grow into trees and shrubs that capture stormwater runoff that can pollute streams and drinking water, as well as remove carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Be a part of the future, plant a tree.
How to Participate:
Take a look at the SPECIES LIST to identify seedlings that may suit your needs and location type.
Watch the website or your email for a link to the REQUEST FORM. (We prefer to call it a “request form” since we cannot guarantee an “order”.) We suggest you submit your request as close to opening of the Request Form as possible - the inventory is limited and is often quickly depleted.
What:
Tree and shrub seedlings will be between 6 inches to 3 feet tall (depending on the species) and will arrive potted in 3-inch x 3-inch x 9-inch pots, about the size of a 1 liter bottle.
A shelter, planting stake, zip-ties and bird-netting will be supplied with most trees.
When:
Request Form will open: Sunday, September 27th at 10:00 AM
Confirmation Emails with the species and number of seedlings your will receive:
Oct. 8, 2026
Seedling Pickup Dates:
Thursday, October 15th 2 to 6 PM
Saturday, October 17th- 9 AM to Noon
*NO alternate pickup dates will be available.
A Growing Success: Adams County Planting Partnership's Impactful Fall Distribution
Gettysburg, PA – The Adams County Planting Partnership (ACPP) celebrated another monumental success during its recent fall seedling distribution, further solidifying its commitment to a healthier local environment. This initiative, a collaborative effort between the Watershed Alliance of Adams County, the Adams County Conservation District, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, has become a cornerstone of community-driven conservation in the region.
The fall event saw the distribution of over 6,580 native tree and shrub seedlings to 290 local residents. This was made possible with seedlings supplied by the PA Seedling Cooperative and the Keystone 10 Million Trees program. This distribution brought the total number of seedlings planted since the partnership's inception in 2018 to over 98,000. This fall's distribution was particularly significant as it was the final one sponsored by the Keystone 10 Million Trees program, marking the successful culmination of a key phase of the project.
Mission in Action: Cleaner Water, Healthier Ecosystems
The ACPP's mission is simple yet vital: to get native trees and shrubs into the hands of county residents who have the ability to plant them, whether on acres of land or in a small backyard. These plantings serve a critical environmental function, with priority given to areas along streams, ponds, and waterways.
Once planted, these native species work hard to:
Stabilize soil and prevent erosion.
Filter pollutants and excess nutrients from stormwater runoff, improving water quality in local streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
Provide essential habitat and food for local wildlife.
Lower stream temperatures through shade, creating a better environment for aquatic life.
Some of the first seedlings planted in the early years of the partnership have already grown to more than 15 feet tall and are actively performing these environmental services.
Community and Collaboration Drive Success
The success of the fall distribution, like previous events, relied heavily on community engagement. Thirty-five dedicated volunteers contributed close to 300 hours to prepare and distribute the seedlings during the fall of 2025. The partnership has grown from distributing just 500 trees in 2018 to facilitating the planting of thousands of seedlings per season, a testament to the community's willingness to help build a healthier ecosystem.
As the Keystone 10 Million Trees initiative concludes, the ACPP is exploring ways to continue offering native seedlings to Adams County residents, ensuring the legacy of a greener, cleaner future for generations to come. The partnership invites all interested residents to stay tuned for future opportunities to volunteer or request seedlings. Fall of 2026 will likely be our next seedling distribution.
Give your seedlings a head start…follow these planting instructions for success!
https://www.adamswatersheds.org/planting-instructions
More trees=cleaner water.
The Adams County Planting Partnership is made possible by the resources of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, which aims to plant 10 million native trees and shrubs in Pennsylvania by 2025. Since we joined forces in 2018, we’ve grown from just 500 trees distributed in 2018 to more than 92,000 trees planted in Adams County by the spring of 2025!
Our role is to help distribute native seedlings here in Adams County, to folks like you with anything from acres of land to a small backyard in need of some cooling shade.
How it works
You can participate in the Adams County Planting Partnership (formerly the ACCD Annual Tree Sale) by requesting free tree or shrub seedlings for planting on your property within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
The Planting Partnership reserves native trees and shrubs through the Chesapeake Bay Foundations's Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership to make available to landowners who wish to become our planting partners. Partners agree to share where the trees are planted and provide a picture of their planted trees and shrubs. Each tree and shrub will come with a plastic shelter tube, stake, zip-ties, and bird-netting. Partners may request up to 100 plants on a first-come, first-served basis. We’ll do our best to get you the seedlings you request, but we can’t guarantee requests.
