Green Horizons

Forest ReLeaf's flagship program is Project CommuniTree, the region's first community-assisted tree nursery. The 10-acre nursery is located in St. Louis County near Lambert- St. Louis International Airport. At the site, volunteers supervised by a staff forester pot up and care for seedlings provided by the National Tree Trust and the Missouri Department of Conservation. After several years under cultivation, the four to six-foot trees are distributed free of charge for planting on public and not-for-profit properties statewide.

Currently, 14,000 seedlings are under cultivation at the nursery, with a projected 5,000 trees to be transplanted annually over the next several years. In its first ten years of operation, Forest ReLeaf has successfully distributed nearly 48,000 trees, including more than 21,000 free trees through Project Communi- Tree.

Project CommuniTree volunteers are an important aspect of the program's success

In 2003, 100 trees were awarded to Front Porch Alliance, a non-profit, faith based partnership that is working to revitalize the Ivanhoe neighborhood of urban Kansas City, Mo. Patsy Shawver, Front Porch Alliance executive director, said the community’s strategic plan included 100 positive changes, one being the inclusion of more trees. “Many of the residents have lived here 40 years or more, and remember when the streets were lined with beautiful trees,” Shawver said. “Planting trees from Project CommuniTree is bringing back this picture of the neighborhood they remember so fondly.”

Last year was the first year Front Porch Alliance planted trees through Project CommuniTree, and the residents are preparing for another planting this spring. Shawver said each block within the Ivanhoe neighborhood has identified a block coordinator to oversee the planting and maintenance of trees in their area. “The neighborhood is very grateful for its trees, and proud of them, too,” Shawver said, “It’s exciting to think about how the residents will continue to enjoy these trees for years to come.”

Ten to twelve different species are usually available each spring and fall through the program. Anyone may apply for the trees; however they must be planted on public or not-for-profit property. Applications are accepted year-round, and the trees are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to qualified applicants who agree to care for them for at least three years after planting. When awarded, the trees must be picked up at the nursery in Berkeley, Mo. (Please note: Applications are now being accepted for the fall; the deadline for the spring harvest is past.) Volunteers are always needed year-round at the nursery on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Some opportunities are also available on Saturdays on an asneeded basis during the peak nursery season from March through November. Prospective volunteers are encouraged to contact Forest ReLeaf to learn more about this wonderful opportunity to help “green-up” our communities!

Major funding for Project CommuniTree is provided by Ameren, The Home Depot Foundation and the Missouri Department of Conservation. For more information about the program, or Forest ReLeaf's other tree-planting and education initiatives, call (314) 533- 5323, toll-free at (888) 4- RELEAF (473-5323); or visit www.moreleaf.org. Project CommuniTree volunteers are an important aspect of the program’s success.