By Naomi Kim-Yu
“My Honda CR-V was exploding with trees!” Liz Essman laughs as she describes transporting Forest ReLeaf-supplied trees to be planted across Urban Harvest STL’s farm sites. The arrival of the trees sparked excitement and energy for volunteers and staff, including the farmers in training Forest ReLeaf’s trees would provide them a hands-on learning experience via the planting process—and the trees would also support Urban Harvest STL’s overarching goals.
“Our whole mission is to turn brownfields into spaces where people want to be and where they can grow their own food,” explains Essman, who is the executive director of Urban Harvest STL. The organization’s five farms are primarily located in areas with lower food security, but they don’t just provide food: they grow community, too. Increased canopy cover makes it easier for community members to gather outside, especially in hot St. Louis summers, for shared meals and workshops. Essman also points out Urban Harvest STL’s newest farm, an education hub near Grandel Square and two local schools. “All these kids were walking up and down the block without shade,” she says.
These newly planted trees will also bear literal good fruits: the fact that the trees are edible means that community members will have additional opportunities to interact with them. Using Forest ReLeaf trees Urban Harvest STL has replenished a micro-orchard that the May 2025 tornado nearly wiped out. They have planted persimmons, elderberries, nannyberries, and serviceberries. The latter, Essman says, have been a “huge hit” and support pollination. For her, the persimmon trees hold particular significance: she recalls the persimmon tree her father planted in their yard when she was born. Years from now, as the trees at the Urban Harvest STL sites mature, they might very well dig their roots deep into countless community members’ fond memories, too.
“We’re planning to get identification plaques for the trees,” Essman says as she reflects on future plans involving the trees. “We want people to be able to stop and pause and reflect on the beauty of the space, to feel welcome and a part of it.”
“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.
