By Naomi Kim-Yu
An eyesore in the church’s backyard: at the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Crestwood, invasive and aggressive plant species had taken over a space on a slope leading down to the property line. According to congregant Warren Davis, rains brought flooding to the overgrown grounds. Turning this area into an appealing, diverse naturescape would require a special kind of solution. As Davis explains, “We wanted to do something with a multi-fold impact.”
Davis knew something that might help achieve that kind of impact: trees. He’d become deeply interested in trees after his retirement, when he enrolled in the Master Gardener course through the Missouri Botanical Garden. As a regular volunteer with Forest ReLeaf, Davis knew the organization could supply trees for the church, where his wife is the rector. Forest ReLeaf initially provided 15 native trees and shrubs for a rain garden funded by two grants: one from the Metropolitan Sewer District’s Project Clear program and another from the Missouri Department of Conservation. More trees followed in 2025. Today, about 40 Forest ReLeaf trees have made their home at the Church of the Advent. Under Davis’s diligent management, the trees are thriving and delivering the multi-fold impact he was hoping for. They help mitigate water run-off, and visually, they’ve transformed the church landscape. Beyond that, the trees—native species like oaks, serviceberries, and wild cherries—support native ecology.
What Davis finds so compelling is “the size, the longevity, and the change over time” that trees demonstrate. He recalled two redbuds his mother planted at their house over twenty years ago. “Now they’re huge,” Davis says, “and they provide a lot of shade; they’re nice to look at; and they serve the environment. As I began to learn more, I realized trees do a whole heck of a lot of things!” As the trees of the Church of the Advent continue to mature, they’ll be able to provide similar benefits to another generation of congregants and community members.
“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago,” Davis says, “so no time like the present to get to it!”
This project was made possible by Forest ReLeaf’s CommuniTree program!
“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.
