QTS Advances Cedar Rapids' Tree Canopy Restoration With 4,000 New Trees Through Monarch Research’s Planting Forward Initiative

Effort supports recovery from the 2020 derecho, strengthens local ecosystems and aligns with QTS’s $10 billion investment in Cedar Rapids.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA. – Originally published on Feb. 5, 2026 – QTS Data Centers (“QTS”), a Blackstone portfolio company, provided funding to support the planting of 4,000 trees in Cedar Rapids in 2025 in partnership with Monarch Research through its Planting Forward native tree restoration initiative. The effort is part of QTS’s five-year, $100,000 annual commitment to support the Planting Forward effort in Cedar Rapids Through this initiative, Monarch Research supplied native trees to community partners for planting across the city.

Monarch Research is a Cedar Rapids-based nonprofit and community leader in native habitat restoration. Following the 2020 derecho, which destroyed more than half of the city’s tree canopy, the organization launched Planting Forward to complement public-land restoration efforts by focusing on private property, where much of the canopy loss occurred. The initiative supports long-term canopy recovery while strengthening the local environment and community resilience.

“This work is about more than planting trees- it’s about restoring what was lost and investing in the future of our community,” said Clark McLeod, Chief Executive Officer of Monarch Research. “Support from QTS allows Planting Forward to put native trees directly into the hands of local partners and accelerate canopy recovery where it’s needed most.”

Read the full Press Release here.

About QTS  

QTS is a global data center leader with unrivaled access to scalable infrastructure across North America and Europe. Powered by people and driven by purpose, QTS provides state-of-the-art data center solutions, robust connectivity and premium customer service to leading hyperscale technology companies, enterprises and government entities. QTS is a Blackstone portfolio company.  

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