Join us for a day of connection, reflection, redefining + reimagining our relationships with trees and the natural world. Go Deeper: A Community Land and Healing Retreat Saturday September 19 10:00am - 2:00pm Lunch and refreshments provided Come join us for a day of reflection, healing, and community connection at our Go Deeper: A Community Land and […]
Join us at our Nursery and Arboretum in Creve Coeur Park to enjoy creative homebrews, craft beer, food, nursery tours, live music, raffle prizes, and more! Homebrews include at least one ingredient sourced from a tree. All proceeds benefit Forest ReLeaf of Missouri and our mission of planting trees and enriching communities. Celebrate with us as […]
Join us at the City Tree Farm at the Scott Joplin House Historic Site! This community-focused event celebrates native persimmons with fun and educational activities for all ages. We’ll be giving away Missouri-native trees, hosting a storytime with the St. Louis Public Library, and welcoming tables from Missouri State Parks, Missouri Forestkeepers Network, and more! […]
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.
