By Naomi Kim-Yu
A classroom with chickens, a pond, and gardens? Welcome to Eric Hayes’s sustainability class at Hixson Middle School in Webster Groves, MO.
“We want to make the class as active and natural as possible,” science teacher Hayes explains. He’s been teaching this sustainability elective for the past six years, ever since the school added a natural courtyard space. Focused on “looking for ways to support kids to make a positive difference with an environmental lens,” his sustainability program has spearheaded projects that are already creating changes at Hixson Middle School. Hayes’s students have worked to improve proper recycling and to reduce food waste in the school cafeteria via composting. They’re also learning about native plants and trees, thanks, in part, to Forest ReLeaf.
“Having access to larger native plants has been awesome for our program,” Hayes says. Through Forest ReLeaf’s CommuniTree program, Hayes and his students have planted a variety of native shrubs and trees in the school’s courtyard. “They’re not cheap to get at a nursery.”
Planting the Forest ReLeaf trees provides Hayes’s students with a hands-on experience that’s both fun and educational. “The kids get a good kick out of the tags,” Hayes says, referring to the tree tags that can be requested with CommuniTree orders: they come with space to give the tree a name and record the date of the planting. Students have enjoyed naming the trees, and they return to the courtyard to admire the trees’ growth and change over time. They also learn to better appreciate why native species and biodiversity are so important. And, as their own enthusiasm for different sustainable measures has grown, it’s spread beyond this courtyard into students’ homes. Hayes reports that some students’ families have also adopted some sustainability practices themselves.
Now, buttonbushes, aromatic aster, chokeberries, and more are flourishing at Hixson Middle School, and Hayes looks forward to seeing them grow and transform the space further. Already, he says, he sees more rabbits and birds in the courtyard, drawn by the plants. It’s clear that the courtyard isn’t just a space at a middle school: it’s contributing to the wider local ecosystem.
“I’m just absolutely excited about the support Forest ReLeaf has given our program,” Hayes says. “Getting these kinds of shrubs out into the community is amazing, and I applaud you guys for what you’re doing.”
This project was made possible by Forest ReLeaf’s CommuniTree program!
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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.
