By Naomi Kim-Yu
May is service month for Cub Scout Pack 764 at Barretts Elementary in Manchester, MO. Led by Cubmaster Scott Hussey and sponsored by the school’s PTO, the pack has taken on tasks like weeding and mulching on the school grounds. This time, however, the Scouts went further and planted five native trees supplied by Forest ReLeaf: aromatic sumac, black chokeberries, and Ozark witch hazel.
Barretts Elementary already has some outdoor classroom programming involving native plants, Hussey explains, so the pack’s project “continues to build that out so kids can see a native ecosystem with insects and birds and plants up close and personal.” He hopes the black chokeberries will attract birds in the fall, and because the witch hazel flowers during the school year, rather than the summer, the students will have a chance to see nature in action.
Hussey, who grew up as a Scout, is personally invested in native ecosystems himself, planting natives in his own yard. He first learned about Forest ReLeaf from a neighbor in his subdivision who is a member of Grow Native!, a program through the Missouri Prairie Foundation. Planting Forest ReLeaf trees, he thought, might make a good Cub Scouts project—a prime learning opportunity about native ecology.
The Scouts’ service project is one that will continue to give back to the school and to the environment for years to come. As Hussey says, “The focus is on showing kids that nature was here before us and reinforcing it so that it can continue after us.”
This project was made possible by Forest ReLeaf’s CommuniTree program!
“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.
