It’s a milestone year for Forest ReLeaf of Missouri!

October 02, 2013

It’s a milestone year for Forest ReLeaf of Missouri!

A guest blog post by Donna Coble, the Executive Director at Forest ReLeaf. This October marks their 20th year of service. We can’t thank them enough for all that they have done for our city.

For the past 20 years our small nonprofit organization has been helping to reforest urban communities throughout Missouri and southern Illinois. So far, more than 100,000 trees have been provided – free of charge – to municipalities, parks, schools, churches, neighborhood associations and other nonprofits like Brightside St. Louis. In fact, more than 750 of these trees are now growing strong in the new Demonstration Garden, at Lake Louie and other Brightside projects.

CommuniTree Gardens nursery, located in St. Louis County in Creve Coeur Park, is home to 20,000 native species trees in various stages of growth.
Led by Mike Walsh, forestry programs manager, and with the assistance of a dedicated group of volunteers, our community-assisted tree nursery is the only one like it in the Midwest. Each spring and fall our trees are distributed on a first come, first served basis to groups that apply – projects may range from one to more than 1,000 trees. We work with recipients to educate them about how to plant and care for their trees and make sure they are planting the “right tree in the right place.”

Why should we care about planting trees in urban areas?

Consider these facts:

• A single tree can soak up as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year, producing enough oxygen to sustain two people.
• The average street tree gives back $123 per year in energy savings and other environmental services. In the City of St. Louis alone, expanding the urban tree canopy by just 10% has the potential to provide tens of millions of dollars in additional benefits.
• Trees have been shown to reduce stress and crime rates, help patients heal faster and improve office productivity.
• Properly placed trees can reduce energy costs and combat the “heat island effect” in cities.

But trees give so much more to the people and animals that live in our urban areas.

When the citizens of Joplin came together for community planning meetings after the terrible tornado destroyed so much of their city in 2011, a consistent theme emerged: when can we plant new trees? I’m happy to say Forest ReLeaf has played a big role in their reforestation efforts – transporting more than 3,000 trees to Joplin so far. Planting a tree is a hope-filled act, a commitment to the future. Joplin residents know this.

As we watch the trees change color this fall, let’s take a moment to thank the trees in our yards, along the streets and in the parks of St. Louis. Better yet, fall is the perfect time to plant a tree in your neighborhood!

For more information about our organization, visit www.moreleaf.org, email info@moreleaf.org or call 314-533-5323.

One response to “It’s a milestone year for Forest ReLeaf of Missouri!”

1. Renita Hightower says:

   May 5, 2014 at 11:09 pm

   Please use either my business website or my email address to keep me informed about the fall distribution of trees. My email address is hightowerrenita@yahoo.com

   Thank you.

   Reply