Charlotte's tree canopy does not grow evenly.

Some neighborhoods sit under mature shade.

Others get less of it, and that difference shows up in heat, air quality and health.

This Friday, Oct. 2, TreesCharlotte is putting volunteers to work on both ends of the problem: planting new trees in the morning and counting the ones already standing in the afternoon.

Friday, Oct. 2: what's happening

Aldersgate Community TreeDay runs from 10 a.m. to noon.

Volunteers plant trees alongside TreesCharlotte staff and trained volunteer leaders.

Children of all ages are welcome.

Adults and youth 17 and older need to register ahead of time.

Kids 16 and under need a parent or guardian who signs a waiver at check-in.

Historic Hoskins TreeMapping (Phase VII) runs from 1 to 4 p.m.

Volunteers split into zones and walk the neighborhood's streets with measuring tapes and tree manuals.

They get training on the spot, then count the trees, flag heritage trees, measure trunk diameters and identify species.

Organizers suggest downloading the PictureThis app, which identifies trees from a photo.

The same age rules apply.

Registration for the mapping event runs through GivePulse.

Full details for both events are on the TreesCharlotte events calendar at treescharlotte.org.

Why mapping matters

Planting gets the attention, but the mapping is what makes the planting smarter.

TreesCharlotte staff have said they want granular, street-level data so they can tell exactly which trees are on the ground.

That inventory shows where shade is missing, which trees may be nearing the end of their lives and where new plantings will do the most good.

Neighbors have noticed the effort.

Christopher Sancho Smalls, the HOA president at Hoskins Mills, told WSOC-TV that the process reminds him of Pokémon Go, except for trees.

He helped plant trees near his condo last winter and says he is looking forward to watching them mature.

The bigger picture: Treesilience

The Hoskins work is part of Treesilience, a three-year TreesCharlotte initiative built around tree equity, the idea that everyone deserves the benefits of trees no matter where they live.

The program currently serves four neighborhoods: Ramblewood, McCrorey Heights, Greenville and Historic Hoskins.

According to TreesCharlotte, those areas have 40 percent canopy or less, compared with about 47 percent citywide.

Participation costs residents nothing, thanks to grant funding and corporate partners.

Treesilience is more than a planting day.

Residents who get a tree planted receive follow-up care, and everyone in the participating neighborhoods can get a free tree assessment from a certified arborist.

Qualifying residents can also get free work on trees that need serious attention, such as removing hazardous limbs.

Homeowners and renters can both take part, though renters need written approval from their landlord.

If you live in Greenville or Historic Hoskins, TreesCharlotte says you can apply for free trees and tree care through the Treesilience page at treescharlotte.org.

The people doing the work

TreesCharlotte was founded in 2012 as a public and private nonprofit collaboration.

The organization says it has planted and distributed more than 72,000 trees with the help of more than 40,000 volunteers, and its stated vision is 50 percent canopy coverage citywide.

Events like Friday's are how that number moves: a couple of hours, a shovel or a measuring tape, and a neighborhood that ends up a little greener than it was that morning.

How to help

Register for a TreeDay or a mapping event at treescharlotte.org/calendar, sign up as a volunteer, or donate to keep the planting going.

Planting season in North Carolina runs from September through March, so there will be more chances this fall and winter.