By Glore Ruiz
“I find the most joy in my life going outside. Camping, hiking, anything and everything outdoors. I love being on a hammock. All of those things aren’t possible without trees.”
When she was old enough to share a height with the trees that were being planted, Abby Mack participated in her first tree planting event. That tree planting had been organized by her father, and that community experience allowed Abby to plant trees that would grow alongside her. Now as a college student, Abby remarks how huge the trees are and fondly recalls that distant day she planted them.
As the service chair of Tau Lambda Sigma, a service sorority chapter at Truman State University, it was Abby’s responsibility to make sure all sorority members achieved 20 hours of service during the semester. However, it was the height of the Covid pandemic and people weren’t focused on fulfilling service hours, so it was imperative to find a fun, yet socially distant activity. Remembering the joy she experienced as a child, Abby decided that a tree planting would be an exciting way to encourage those service hours. When she shared the idea, Abby was delighted to get a positive response.
Abby found Forest Releaf and ordered twenty trees to plant on public land through Project CommuniTree. The only challenge was the distance. Since Forest ReLeaf’s nursery is located in Creve Coeur Park, the trees would need to be driven three hours away to Kirksville, where Truman State is located. To solve this challenge Abby offered extra service hours to anyone who would be in St. Louis over fall break and would be willing to bring some of the trees back to campus. Five volunteers agreed and all twenty trees made their way to Truman campus.
On a brisk morning in November 2022, thirty-five sorority members began their day by planting the trees. Despite the cold, five trees were planted at a nearby church and the other fifteen were planted on campus. Some of those on campus were strategically placed near the Humane Society to provide shade for when the shelter dogs are taken on walks.
Although she is no longer the service chair for Tau Lambda Sigma, Abby made sure that her successor knew of this project. A vital component of the CommuniTree program is recognizing the care a baby tree requires. By passing the baton, Abby’s tree planting event continues to span distances, providing service hours to future sorority sisters as they steward the trees and grow their own connections to them. Abby summed up why trees are able to span time and space with these words, “I find the most joy in my life going outside. Camping, hiking, anything and everything outdoors. I love being on a hammock. All of those things aren’t possible without trees.”
“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.
