EarthBeat Weekly: A Catholic tree-planting milestone in the nation's capital

A Catholic tree-planting milestone in the nation's capital   EarthBeat Weekly Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change December 19, 2025   A group of 70 volunteers planted 58 trees along Georgia Avenue outside Gate of Heaven Cemetery, in Silver Spring, Maryland, as part of a tree planting event Nov. 22 organized by the lay Catholic initiative Laudato Trees. (Courtesy of Casey Trees) A week before many U.S. families headed out to cut down pines and spruces to place in their homes for Christmas, a group of Catholics in the Washington D.C. area did the opposite and organized a day of tree planting. The crew of 70 volunteers planted 10 different tree species on Nov. 22, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Red cedars, magnolias and willows, evergreen hollies, loblolly pines, and fittingly near the nation's capital, nine cherry trees. They also placed in the ground a single Eastern Redbud sapling, which received special designation as the 1,000th tree planted in the Washington Archdiocese by the lay Catholic initiative known as Laudato Trees. "Took a while, but we got there," Philip Downey, one of the founders of Laudato Trees, told me for a story this week at EarthBeat on the group's milestone. Since beginning in 2021 with a group of five Catholics inspired by Pope Francis' encyclical "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home," Laudato Trees has seen symbiotic potential, both practically and symbolically, between the numerous environmental and health benefits trees bring and the archdiocese's massive geographic footprint and inventory of 139 parishes, 90 schools and dozens more ministries, religious congregations and other church organizations. Trees are central players in limiting climate change as they absorb and store carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions released that are driving global warming, primarily from burning coal, oil and gas. Beyond that, trees provide habitats for animals, mitigate flooding, beautify and cool neighborhoods and offer health benefits like reduced stress, stronger immune systems, improved mental health and even crime reduction. "It takes a lot of plantings to get to 1,000," Downey said. Click the link below to learn how they got there.  Read more: Laudato Trees program in DC Archdiocese plants its 1,000th tree   What else is new on EarthBeat:   Parishes clean up damage, help those displaced by floods in Western Washington state by Andrew Foster, OSV News Several parishes and schools across Western Washington have shut down operations due to historic flooding in the state. Read more here »   Pope Leo cracks Vogue's 2025 best dressed list by Justin McLellan Vogue included Pope Leo XIV in its list of the 55 Best Dressed People of 2025, an unranked roundup of what the fashion outlet called "extremely fashionable characters." Read more here »   What's happening in other climate news: Trump administration plans to break up premier weather and climate research center —Lisa Friedman, Brad Plumer and Jack Healy for The New York Times 'A shift no country can ignore': where global emissions stand, 10 years after the Paris climate agreement —Fiona Harvey for the Guardian Gaza faces another catastrophic winter as environmental and humanitarian devastation mount —Keerti Gopal for Inside Climate News U.S. is seeking exemption from a European climate law, officials say —Lisa Friedman for The New York Times EU scraps 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars to boost auto industry —FRANCE24 and Agence France Presse New Hampshire clean energy program goes national with federal funds —Sarah Shemkus for Canary Media A new report describes deep environmental cuts, state by state —Lisa Sorg for Inside Climate News As wildfires mount, so do efforts to use less plastic —Carey L. Biron for the Thomson Reuters Foundation Newsroom Trump administration delays decision on federal protections for monarch butterflies —Todd Richmond for the Associated Press Big Oil's climate ads have propped up fake promises and false solutions for past 25 years, report finds —Dana Drugmand for Inside Climate News Final Beat: Here in Kansas City, early forecasts aren't exactly projecting a white, or even wintry, Christmas Day next week. Rather, the sun is set to shine bright and temperatures are expected to top 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Warmer starts to winter have become a norm lately in Missouri, as the past eight Decembers have all seen above-average temperatures, according to a January report by the state climatologist at the Missouri Climate Center.  Only two years in the past decade in the Show-Me State have recorded average December temperatures at or below the historical average of 33 F. And each of the past 10 years overall in the state have been above average, a period coinciding with the 10 hottest years globally on record. If forecasts hold, it looks like any sleds and ice skates waiting under the tree will necessitate a pause before any play. Likewise, EarthBeat Weekly next week will take a pause, too. We'll see you in the new year. To all our readers, subscribers and supporters, an early Merry Christmas and happy holidays. As always, thanks for reading EarthBeat.   Brian Roewe Environment Correspondent National Catholic Reporter broewe@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? Place an Ad in NCR's Online Classified Section for Only $75 per Month!   Advertisement