Greening the Greenway 

The Midtown Greenway is abuzz with bike commuters zipping to work, families out for a stroll, and neighbors enjoying the tree-lined trails. A former rail corridor owned by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA), the Greenway trail is maintained by the City of Minneapolis. In contract with the City of Minneapolis, Tree Trust is greening the Greenway. This paved 5.5-mile-long corridor serves a diverse community of Minnesota residents, providing an important option for environmentally conscious transportation. Tree Trust works year-round to improve and maintain this beloved trail.  

“Working with Tree Trust is a valuable partnership to keep our property safe and well maintained while supporting Tree Trust’s mission.”- Jessica Galatz, Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority 

Environmental Stewardship 

Tree Trust is transforming lives and landscapes through environmental stewardship. Transforming the Greenway from rail corridor to bike trail began with a small group of volunteers who shared a vision of an amenity filled bike trail. The nonprofit organization Midtown Greenway Coalition was born in 1995, with a mission to empower communities to develop, improve, protect, and enjoy the Midtown Greenway as a green urban corridor to improve people’s lives. The Greenway trail materialized in phases thanks to the collaborative efforts of HCRRA, the City of Minneapolis, Midtown Greenway Coalition and Tree Trust. With an eye towards community green space Tree Trust began to lay the foundation of transformation. Beginning in the early 1990s, Tree Trust engaged community volunteers to plant trees and employed youth from the community to begin clearing space for the bike trail. To view the complete timeline of the Greenway transformation please click here.

Transforming Landscapes 

Today, one of our Summer Youth Employment Program crews is learning important job skills working along the Greenway near Uptown. Youth aged 14-21 work together in teams to remove invasive plants like buckthorn and clean up trash along the trail. Young people are exploring the trade of landscape construction with a project to improve the aesthetic along Fremont Avenue South. With the guidance of Tree Trust staff, youth removed a destitute chain link fence and are working to dig post holes to install a beautiful new fence.  

“The very first encounter I had with Tree Trust was during a bike ride on the Greenway. Tree Trust was out there planting trees along the bike trail. I saw the truck; I saw the young people and I saw them planting trees. I love the marriage of young people, getting outdoors, and taking care of the planet. I am so impressed with how you [Tree Trust] often engage dear young people who may have had some disadvantages, who are vulnerable, or who may have had some bad knocks in life.” – Anonymous Tree Trust Donor 

Transforming Lives 

Tree Trust is grateful for the opportunity to green the Greenway trail as we transform lives. In addition to providing work for our Summer Youth Employment Program, the Greenway is also a worksite for our Branches program. Tree Trust Branches hosts cohorts year-round to provide paid training to our next generation of green collar workers. Our Career Pathways teams hone their skills and enjoy the shade from trees planted by previous Tree Trust teams along the corridor, as they work to steward our community green space. Donate today to help Tree Trust green more communities!