Town of Hilton Head Island
The Town of Hilton Head Island celebrated its 25th year of being a Tree City USA and the 2nd year of earning its Tree Growth Award.
Pictured are two town officials at the newly revitalized Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, where ongoing archaeological digs continue to uncover the story of the first self-governed freedmen community established during the Civil War.
Visitors can explore the site through a self-guided tour with QR code markers while enjoying the new walking trail that winds through the preserved mature tree canopy on the way to Fish Haul Beach.
City of Clemson
The City of Clemson obtained its 13th year as a Tree City USA in 2025, as awarded by the Arbor Day Foundation. SCFC Statewide Urban Forestry Coordinator Frances Waite and Piedmont Urban Forestry Specialist Ann Huyler met with and congratulated Clemson’s Director of Urban and Park Land Management Tony Tidwell, who successfully applied for this award.
Tidwell also applied for and received two grants from the Forestry Commission: The Urban Tree Canopy Assessment and the Ecosystem Benefits Modeling.
The final reports for both grants are available on the city of Clemson’s Grow a Greener Clemson website.
With a resident population of ~19,000 and a university population of ~29,000, the City of Clemson has a surprisingly high 48% tree canopy cover, one of the highest in the state, and maintains 100 acres of parkland dispersed across 14 parks.
In 2022, the city was accredited as a Monarch City USA and is building multiple pollinator gardens across the city to feed Monarch caterpillars and butterflies.
The City of Clemson is fully dedicated and invested in improving the quality and quantity of the city’s green spaces and advancing the environmental benefits that come with properly placed plants.
Town of Summerville
The Town of Summerville is celebrating its 45th year of being Tree City USA and the 7th year of earning its Tree Growth Award.
SCFC Coastal Region Urban Forester Cara Specht presented Town of Summerville staff with a flag to recognize the town’s achievement May 28.
City of Aiken
Coastal Region Urban Forester Cara Specht (right) stands with City of Aiken Buildings and Grounds Administrator Aaron Campbell May 14 as they celebrate the City of Aiken’s 41st consecutive year of being a Tree City USA by updating one of the city’s street signs.