By Glore Ruiz
“You look at a tree and you just are inspired. They're such a keystone species. So many things rely on trees, including us. It's just amazing the things that trees provide. And even when they die, trees continue to provide. It humbles you. It's a great way to think about our impacts and what we can provide, just throughout our lives.”
When Metropolitan Community College (MCC) located in Kansas City started losing many of their trees to the emerald ash borer, the school had to consider how to remediate the damage. Matthew Knopf-Amelung, the senior groundskeeper at MCC Maple Woods Campus, knew the school needed new trees but was unsure of where to acquire them and how mature they should be. As he searched for the right trees, Matthew heard of Forest ReLeaf and our services. Matthew decided the young trees that Forest ReLeaf offers were not mature enough to be immediately planted on campus; however, they were the perfect size to create a fledgling nursery onsite.
Matthew wanted to share the wisdom of trees, but knew that would not happen if he alone tended to them. Powerful education occurs naturally when one interacts with a tree. Matthew wanted the students to have that interaction while the trees grew in the new nursery. Matthew’s vision is to create a multigenerational rotation of trees for the nursery, so MCC will always have trees that are ready to be planted and trees that are growing for future needs.
The decision to create a nursery onsite not only benefits the campus, but also the students, who get to connect with and learn about nature. Students gain experience in nursery management while watching the trees grow until they are mature enough to be planted on campus. A student at this two-year college could have the opportunity to tend to a tree throughout their college experience, and to then to plant it upon graduation. Since the inception of the nursery, Matthew noted the joy of working with the students, who had named each tree acquired from Forest ReLeaf.
The creation of the Maple Woods Nursery allowed MCC to revitalize their campus with affordable native trees. The new nursery has also allowed Matthew to achieve his overarching goal of getting students and staff to engage with the process of getting trees planted on campus. Matthew believes this interaction can allow his students to realize that the benefits of trees aren’t abstract, but rather tangible and plentiful.
“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.
