LEXINGTON, Ky. — The City of Lexington's annual volunteer tree planting event, Reforest the Bluegrass, is returning to Coldstream Park on Saturday, April 18, the location where the program first took root more than two decades ago.

Reforest the Bluegrass has been running for over 25 years, with thousands of volunteers planting trees near water to create better riparian buffers, improve water quality and increase Lexington's tree canopy. The program has restored more than 200 acres of floodplanes, and if the plantings had been contracted out, they would have cost $1.2 million.

Coldstream Regional Park, a 224-acre park at Newtown Pike and Citation Blvd., is home to the Legacy Trail, a dog park, open fields for play, and significant trees and wildlife. The park has become increasingly popular since the first Reforest planting in 1999.

Volunteers of all ages are welcome to plant trees Saturday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Coldstream Park, 1850 Pisacano Drive. No previous tree planting experience is required. Free lunch and a t-shirt are provided to all participants, along with access to an exhibitor tent featuring fun activities focused on protecting the planet and waterways. Preregistration is not required, but volunteers must sign a waiver on-site before planting.

The following weekend, Reforest at Home will continue for its seventh year, offering free tree saplings to homeowners in Fayette County, with a mix of small ornamental and large shade trees. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, residents can pick up trees at three locations: Jacobson Park, Coolavin Park, and Shillito Park. Because 69% of land in Fayette County is privately owned, the city needs landowners to plant and maintain trees as well.

Multiple private and public partners sponsor the Reforest activities, including MiddleGround Capital, Green Forests Work, Kentucky Utilities, Kentucky American Water, John's Run/Walk Shop, Wild Birds Unlimited, Big Bang Customs, Donut Days, the Lexington Tree Board, Lions Club International and Wild Ones.