Elkhart is aiming to plant 2,000 trees by the end of 2027 as part of a $1 million investment in the city’s urban forestry program, with volunteers kicking off the effort during the city’s first tree-planting blitz.

Community organizations, service groups and local scouts joined forces to plant trees, helping expand the city’s tree canopy and provide more shade throughout the community.

The initiative, called Trees for the Heart, comes as Elkhart looks to address the urban heat island effect, which occurs when pavement and other surfaces absorb heat and keep temperatures elevated.​