Impact Stories
MCC maple
woods nursery
When Metropolitan Community College (MCC)in Kansas City lost many of their trees to the emerald ash borer, Matthew Knopf-Amelung decided to create a campus nursery. With young trees from Forest ReLeaf and stewardship from MCC’s faculty and students Maple Woods Nursery was created.
Cattle Farm Turned Conservation Oasis
600 trees were planted on a former cattle farm to combat streambank erosion and improve water quality at Shoal Creek, just south of Joplin.
Creating A Triangle Oasis in the City
Learn about the small triangle garden in the historic Greater Ville neighborhood in North St. Louis. Triangle Park has been a site of community collaboration and environmental stewardship since 2022, and continues to be stewarded by Forest ReLeaf in 2025.
Learning From Trees at Premier Charter School
Premier Charter School planted a new generation of trees on their campus. Eighty Forest ReLeaf trees have been planted and stewarded thanks to school community!
Forest Releaf Branches out to Street trees
Forest ReLeaf and Saint Louis City Forestry partner to plant and steward 3,200 street trees in St. Louis city. Read about how the first year of the partnership went!
Tiny Forest
(now a little less tiny)
Read about the tiny forest that came to be thank to a collaboration between Forest ReLeaf, Davey, Great Rivers Greenway, and the City of St. Louis.
Trees with History
Elmwood Cemetery in Kansas City is growing and diversifying their arboretum as they find new purpose as an urban oasis for both people and wildlife.
101
Tree CItIES
Forest ReLeaf Trees made it possible for Lebanon to become a Tree City USA. As new parks are continuously created, nearly 500 trees over 6 years have re-treed spaces that were previously bare.
Treesilience + Americorps
Emerald Ash Borer has hit St. Louis, creating high risk trees throughout the city. With partners like Americorps we’re removing ash trees and replanting with native trees.
trash for
trees
Aaron Doghogne has harnessed the power of community to clean and green St. Louis City. With the help of volunteers, 24,000 pieces of trash were collected and 200 Forest Releaf trees were planted in STL.
Modot Land
When Pam Franke looked at her subdivision she saw a lack of young trees in the canopy. With Project CommuniTree, she’s planting the future for her neighborhood.
kiwanis park
Kiwanis Park used to be overfilled with invasive honeysuckle bush. Thanks to Stephen Bybee and community efforts, this space is now thriving with young native trees.
Mason Elementary School
Twelve years ago there wasn’t any shade at Mason Elementary. Then Karen Norman found out that she could get free trees from Forest ReLeaf.
Big Yellow
Truck
John knew hauling buckets of water would be labor intensive and unsustainable long-term. He began to fundraise for a watering truck and “people really came through for big yellow”.
coahoma orchards
Coahoma Orchards is a collection of native fruit bearing trees that Dail Chambers acquired from Forest ReLeaf. With the help of community members the trees were planted and are now growing in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood in North City.
Community Creating Canopy
After completing a tree survey of his St. Louis City neighborhood of Compton Heights, Steve Spence organized an 80-tree planting with his neighbors to replace missing street trees.
Mti Wraps @ Fairground Park
Can public art promote and protect trees? North City artist Dail Chambers explores new ways of community engagement.
CanopY
Renewal
Pallottine Retreat and Conference Center, located in St. Louis county, is dedicated to having a beautiful and calming natural space for its visitors. When Pallottine staff noticed some declining oak trees they quickly partnered with Forest ReLeaf to plant the next generation of trees.
Ruth Porter
Mall
Forest Releaf and GRG have partnered to establish more tree canopy along completed and upcoming greenways that are primarily concentrated in North St.Louis City.
Generational
Joys
Jared Irby saw potential in Marquette park. He dreamed of improving the space for neighborhood children to play in and enjoy a natural community space. After he organized the planting of 30 Forest Releaf trees, Jared’s dream is closer to becoming a reality.
Ujima farms partnership
“All flourishing is mutal” -Robin Wall Kimmerer. Learn about our ongoing partnerships with Ujima Farms!
Better Family Life
Better Family Life has been around for over 40 years stabilizing inner-city neighborhoods. Through a program called Family Love/ Family Roots, the first memorial tree planting took place in Fall 2019 at Ivory Perry Park. Since then over 90 memorial trees have been planted.
spanning distances
Tau Lambda Sigma sorority sisters were excited for a tree planting philanthropy project. However, their campus, Truman State University, is a long drive from our Creve Coure nursery. It took coordinating and dedication to get our trees to their planting site, but their hard work benefited not only Truman campus but a local church and Humane Society as well.
Pocketparks
As the young non profit, Pocketparks, follows their mission of turning vacant lots into beautiful community spaces, they rely on community resources. That’s where Forest ReLeaf comes in.