By Glore Ruiz
"You can’t just talk endlessly about a problem like climate change and not take some action. While it’s hard for an individual to tackle the big leverage issues around climate, anyone can learn the right way to plant a tree.”
St. Louis is 200 trees richer and over 24,000 pieces of trash lighter thanks to the efforts of Lindenwood Park resident Aaron Dohogne. In the last five years, Dohogne and the volunteers he has recruited have planted trees in five St. Louis neighborhood parks as part of an effort to mitigate the effects of climate change by improving the urban tree canopy. In addition he has organized trash and litter pickups that have helped brighten St. Louis neighborhoods while raising funds for charity.
“You can’t just talk endlessly about a problem like climate change and not take some action,” said Dohogne. “While it’s hard for an individual to tackle the big leverage issues around climate, anyone can learn the right way to plant a tree. And, picking up litter is pretty self-explanatory.” Dohogne’s tree planting effort began in 2016, when he enlisted students from Gateway Science Academy, where he taught history, to plant rose mallow and butterfly bushes on the school grounds. The blooming shrubs, provided by Forest ReLeaf, continue to improve the school’s appearance today.
Using what he learned from that experience, Dohogne subsequently organized larger plantings in Tilles Park, Lindenwood Park, Francis Slay Park, Christy Park, and most recently Joe Leisure Park— expanding his cadre of volunteers to neighborhood groups as well as students. While Dohogne pays for the U-Haul or truck to transport the trees, he counts on Forest ReLeaf of Missouri to provide the trees, and the City of St. Louis to provide mulch. Dohogne or a volunteer will plant the trees and teach homeowners how to properly care for their trees. “I cannot say enough about the value Forest ReLeaf brings to this region or how grateful I am for their collaboration.” said Dohogn. This collaboration continues and all are welcome to contribute to the greening and cleaning of St. Louis.
Groups or individuals interested in supporting or partnering with Dohogne in his efforts may contact him at dohogne.aaron@gmail.com.
“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.
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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.
