Who We Are
PlantAmnesty, established in 1987, is a 700+ member nonprofit organization founded by the late Cass Turnbull, a former Seattle Parks employee who was “tired of seeing shrubs sheared within an inch of their lives.”
Today, our mission is to provide resources, education, and advocacy to prevent malpruning and preserve urban greenspaces, but Cass kicked off the shenanigans of PlantAmnesty with the original mission statement: To prevent the torture and mutilation of trees and shrubs. She captured the media’s attention with her Stop Topping campaign which led to major changes in the way Seattle’s municipal and private arborists approach tree care.
The Master Pruner class series was developed by Cass and we continue to teach her ISA certified methods on tree and shrub pruning to thousands of homeowners and professionals each year.
For our work on pruning reform, we have won several awards including three Gold Leaf Awards from the International Society of Arboriculture, the Arbor Day Foundation's Education Award, and Washington State's Urban Forest Stewardship Award.
What we do
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A series of 14 pruning classes including trees, shrubs, hackables, vines, fruit trees, conifers, and more.
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Get hands-on instruction on pruning and renovating an overgrown garden or one of our specialty workshops like Japanese pruning.
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Our ISA certified referral arborists are peer-vetted to ensure the highest standards of quality.
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Our referral gardeners pass an in-house qualifying exam, showing they possess the skills and training required to be on the list.
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Like Buy Nothing for trees, shrubs, and more! Submit unwanted plants and members will come to dig and rescue. A free service!
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Members connect directly with submitters and arrange pick up.
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We host speakers on a wide-range of PlantAmnesty related topics in a semimonthly gathering. Free for members, $10 suggested donation for non-members.
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Nothing brings people together like home-cooked food (or deli-made, no judgment here). After good eats and camaraderie, the excitement blooms with a lively plant and gardening auction. Everyone leaves full, connected, and more informed.
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Started in 2017, over 40,000 volunteer hours have gone into creating a fitting memorial to PlantAmnesty’s founder.
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Seattle Parks & Recreation granted permission for a second design and installation phase of the garden at the end of 2026.
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In partnership with private and public gardens, attendees get an inside and one-of-a-kind tour.
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Follow local gardening celebs, expert designers, garden historians, and nature gurus for in-depth knowledge and entertaining anecdotes.
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