By Glore Ruiz
“Forest ReLeaf trees made it possible for Lebanon, MO to become a Tree City USA.”
Within the last decade, the City of Lebanon, MO joined 100 other cities across the state to earn the title of Tree City USA, all with the help of Forest ReLeaf trees. To achieve the designation of Tree City USA, communities must meet four essential standards recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation:
While these standards seem simple, they can only be achieved with strong tree advocacy and, most importantly, trees! Fortunately, the City of Lebanon found both through the efforts of Don Allen. At 85 years old, Allen continues bringing passion for trees later to life. Six years ago, he began partnering with Forest ReLeaf, and since then, nearly 500 trees have been planted throughout Lebanon.
Allen’s work has been particularly impactful as new land is acquired by the city’s Parks Department, leading to the creation of new parks. Reforesting these newly developed areas can be a costly challenge, but through Forest ReLeaf’s CommuniTree program, planting hundreds of trees can be a reality and meeting Tree City USA guidelines achievable. Their personal goal is to connect all the parks through tree-lined walking trails, further enhancing the city’s green infrastructure.
Despite his role in organizing many tree plantings, Allen humbly states, “500 trees seem like a lot, but is just a drop in the bucket.” (As long as Forest ReLeaf is here, we are happy to continue providing free trees.) Though it may take many more trees to reach the city’s goals, the benefits of a healthy tree canopy are already tangible for the people of Lebanon. And visitors to the city will see this hard work reflected not only in the growing green canopy, but also in the proud “Tree City USA” sign that welcomes them.
“Imagine the kids in your congregation growing up learning all the native plants in your area and how to take care of them, and being able to experience the divine in nature,” says Christopher Grundy.
Since 1999, the Ferguson Volunteer Flower Department has been caring for two gardens in downtown Ferguson.
With Forest ReLeaf’s help, Park Commissioner Peg Crockett is adding more trees to Hunter Park, giving the local community more opportunities for play and leisure.
I am Elijah Belz, the Field Operations Coordinator for Forest ReLeaf. I am a certified arborist and the primary person in the field for Forest ReLeaf, maintaining roughly 1000 trees planted in the St. Louis City, and maintaining our equipment our equipment used to maintain our trees! This job is a catch-all position that carries different responsibilities during the different seasons. Fall and spring are our planting, tree delivery, and inventory season; winter is our pruning, mulching, and planning season; summer is our watering season where we lead a crew of interns getting into the green industry.
My background is bicycle repair! I was in that industry for almost a decade, including running a bicycle repair shop, before taking a job with a tree planting organization in Atlanta. From there I moved to an edible landscape company. I became certified as an arborist while working at Forest ReLeaf this February! Trees rock, bikes are cool too.
De’Nonna Jones graduated from Knox College in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, driven by a commitment to environmental justice and community-based conservation. Since then, she has gained hands-on experience working across a range of green spaces throughout the St. Louis region, focusing on the care, restoration, and accessibility of urban natural areas. She began her journey at Tower Grove Park, where she developed a deep appreciation for public green spaces as vital community resources, before moving into a stewardship role with the Missouri Botanical Garden in partnership with Great Rivers Greenway. She now serves as the Stewardship Crew Coordinator at Forest ReLeaf. De’Nonna is passionate about creating inclusive pathways into environmental work and empowering tree lovers and emerging conservationists to see themselves as stewards of their communities. Through her work, she strives to strengthen connections between people, trees, and places in urban environments.
After 17 years in the non-profit and public sector, Jess remains committed to mission-driven work that tackles the challenges facing our communities. Their career began with a year of service as an Americorps St. Louis Emergency Response team member, responding to natural disasters and performing conservation projects. That foundation of service led to roles supporting the arts, affordable housing, mental health, and grassroots housing advocacy in St. Louis. During this journey Jess has worked to center the value “nothing about us, without us.” They do their best to ensure that the voices of people who have been marginalized guide the strategy and execution of work that honors their lived experiences. When they aren’t working, Jess is out paddling, hiking, working in their garden, or building something.
