Please visit our new website and blog!

Be sure to check out TreeTrust's recently redesigned website at www.TreeTrust.org! The new website features tons of helpful information about our job opportunities, who we partner with, what kind of work we do, and how you can get more involved.

The Tree Trust blog will continue to be updated frequently on the new website. Check it out today, and bookmark it for the future!

National Philanthropy & Give to the Max days

This week was an important one for fundraising. November 15th was National Philanthropy Day, which is a day to celebrate the contributions that philanthropy has made to our lives, our communities and our world. November 16th was Give to the Max Day in Minnesota. The goal was to raise as much money as possible for nonprofit organizations in 24 hours.

Individual donors are very important to Tree Trust and help us to achieve our mission. Support from donors allows us to provide meaningful opportunities for youth and adults to experience success, learn job skills, boost their self-confidence, and be gainfully employed while improving our local environment.

Young Adult Conservation Corps at Westwood Hills Nature Center

 
Support from donors also allows us to involve students and community members in tree planting workshops, school tree plantings, and community tree plantings. Students and volunteers have opportunities to learn about trees and the environment, spend time in nature, and work together as a team, all while they improve and green their own communities.

Learning with Trees at Hilltop Primary School

Tree Trust was fortunate to benefit from the generosity of many Minnesotans on Give to the Max Day again this year! Did you miss out on Give to the Max Day? There is plenty of time left to make a donation this year. Visit our website to make a donation to Tree Trust or find other ways to get involved.

Help replace trees lost in the storm

The damage caused by the storm on Sunday, May 22 was so extensive that President Obama has pledged to send aid to the Twin Cities to help us rebuild. Tree Trust is joining the effort by helping to replant trees in the metro, including Minneapolis and other cities hit the hardest.

You can help. Make a donation to our Green Futures fund to support our reforestation efforts. Every donation made to Green Futures will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a local family foundation, stretching your donation even further.

Donations are 100% tax-deductible, and will be turned into trees that are planted during community events in public parks this fall. The more money raised, the more trees we can plant.

Make a donation to Green Futures today, and actively participate in replanting the Twin Cities.

Minneapolis City Trees distribution details

Here are the details for the Minneapolis property owners who were lucky enough to score one of the 1500 trees for sale through the Minneapolis City Trees sale.

Pick-up times:
Saturday, May 21
7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Sunday, May 22
8 a.m. – noon

Monday, May 23
3 – 7 p.m.

Location:
Minneapolis Impound Lot
51 Colfax Ave. N.
Minneapolis, MN 55405

You will forfeit your tree and the money you paid for it, should you not be able to pick up your trees on the dates specified. You can certainly make arrangements for someone else to pick up your tree, should you be unavailable. If you wish to pick out the tree you believe is the best of the bunch, trees are first come first serve; we do not hold trees for individuals.

Trees will be anywhere from 4-8’ tall.  All of these trees are containerized (in a plastic pot). Burlap will be provided for wrapping your tree to protect it on the way home.

For more information on planting your tree, click here. Planting and tree care information as well as species specific information will be provided for you when you pick-up your tree. 

We are still in need of volunteers for this event. You can help re-leaf the city by loading residents' new trees and bags of mulch into their vehicles at our upcoming tree distribution. This is a great event for individuals, families, and small groups. Lifting is required, but partnering up makes it easy. Tree Trust staff will provide a brief training and be present throughout the day to answer any questions. To register to volunteer or to learn more email amandag@treetrust.org or call 952-767-3882.

Funding for youth programs in jeopardy.

For 35 years our summer Youth Conservation Corps program has helped thousands of Twin Cities youth build self-confidence and make a lasting difference in their own communities.

As we prepare for our 2011 program, we are reminded of the significance of this program. So far this year, we have received nearly 1,000 applications, demonstrating the program’s importance.

Our summer program exists because of State and Federal funding. This funding from the government accounts for more than 85% of what we need to operate the program. The more money we receive, the more youth we can serve.

As you may know, the State Legislature and Governor are faced with a large deficit as they work out this year’s budget. One item on the chopping block: the Minnesota Youth Program, one of the critical sources of funding for our summer program.

We have already reduced the size of this program because of cuts in Federal funding. If Minnesota Youth Program funding is cut, it will reduce the number of youth we can serve even more.

You can help.

Contact your local representative today. Ask him/her to keep the Minnesota Youth Program in the 2011 budget at the same level as in 2010.

To find your representative, visit http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/districtfinder.aspx or call Felecia at 952-767-3884.

Tree Trust's first commercial

This month Tree Trust shot its very first commercial -- well, really its a public service announcement (PSA), but calling it a commercial is a lot more fun! 

You can view our new PSA on YouTube and Vimeo. It will also air periodically on CTV15 and its sister stations. 

Thanks to the generosity of CTV15, who provided consultation and production as an in-kind donation to Tree Trust, we now have our 30 seconds of fame. 

Special thanks to Kevin Schmitz from CTV15, who worked patiently with us over the past few months to get it just right. And extra special thanks to our cast -- Felecia, Kyler, Sam, Giampaolo and Kristine -- for  lending us their time and talent on the set.

Let us know what you think. And feel free to share it with others!

To Plant a Tree

This insightful poem was written by one of our wonderful volunteers, Jim Nelson. He shared this with a group of tree planting volunteers during our special “Plant a Wish” event along the Midtown Greenway on June 2, 2010.

Jim is a Master Gardener, Tree Care Advisor, Tree Inspector, and friend of Tree Trust. With Jim’s permission, we share this with the rest of you.

To Plant a Tree

To plant a tree is to begin a project
that may outlive me and my children.

To plant a tree is to make a small part of the earth
a new and better place.

To plant a tree whose crown may never shade me
is to care for neighbors and others.

To plant a tree is to give color and form
to dreams of a better world for all.

Twin Cities recognized for volunteerism

The Twin Cities has a lot to be proud of. We’re famous for our abundance of lakes. I’m pretty sure no other state makes as mean a hot dish as we do. We were recently named the Best Bike City by Bicycling magazine. And last month Minneapolis and St. Paul were ranked among the top five large cities in the U.S. for volunteering rates!

The most recent Volunteering in America report issued by the Corporation for National & Community Service shows that volunteering is on the rise throughout the nation. This is great news! In 2009 more than 63 million Americans volunteered – that’s an increase of almost 1.6 million over the previous year. Their volunteer service was valued at more than $169 billion, resulting in huge savings for nonprofits.

In 2009, over 500 volunteers joined Tree Trust to plant trees, maintain trails and make our community greener. This year, even more people are getting involved.

Want to join the millions of Americans who give back to their communities? Find out how you can make a difference by volunteering with Tree Trust!

Green Futures spring planting season a success!

On June 5, Tree Trust wrapped up a successful spring of Green Futures plantings. St. Paul received 60 new, properly planted trees in Cherokee Park, where a large percentage of the mature trees are ash and will likely succumb to emerald ash borer - a destructive, wood-boring beetle - in the not-too-distant future. And Minnetrista will reap the benefits of 120 new trees in the City's brand new and no-longer-barren Lisle Park.

This year, our spring Green Futures plantings were especially meaningful for Tree Trust. Our dear friend and CEO, Dave Hawes, passed away in February after a battle with cancer, and the majority of the trees we planted in Minnetrista and St. Paul were donated in his memory. Many of his family were there to help plant the trees; his daughter even shared some memories of her father's life-long commitment to forestry and to Tree Trust. We're proud to have been able to honor him in this special, meaningful way.

Green Futures for Cherokee Park!

50 volunteers got together on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at St. Paul's Cherokee Park to plant 60 trees as part of Tree Trust's Green Futures initiative.

A little light drizzle didn't spoil a thing: families, couples, and individuals worked together to get trees in the ground the right way. These new trees are off to a great start, ready to take the place of the mighty ash trees when they succumb to emerald ash borer.

This event was especially meaningful for Tree Trust because all the trees were planted in memory of our CEO, David Hawes, who passed away in February after a battle with cancer. Dave's family joined other volunteers to plant in honor of his lifelong love of trees and commitment to transforming lives and landscapes during his 30+ years at Tree Trust.

Thanks so much to:

• The volunteers and donors who made this event possible
• Our trusty trainers for teaching everyone how to plant correctly
• The City of St. Paul for applying for a Green Futures grant and working to get more trees in the parks
• Amore Coffee for donating the coffee 
• Mississippi Market for donating a gift card to buy snacks for our volunteers
• Our Landscape Services team for providing event support
• Our Community Forestry Manager, Karen Zumach, for creating the landscape plan and facilitating the event

This is the last Green Futures planting for the spring, but we're currently accepting donations for plantings in the fall. If someone has a birthday coming up, a new baby is coming into the world, a friend is getting married or having an anniversary, or someone close to you just really loves trees, think about making a donation in their honor!

Check out more photos from the event in this Flickr set.

Press Release: Green Futures for Minnetrista's Lisle Park

For immediate release: Green Futures for Minnetrista's Lisle Park

Minnetrista, MN - June 4, 2010 - On Saturday, May 22, 2010, Tree Trust staff gathered over 70 community volunteers to plant 120 trees in Minnetrista's Lisle Park as part of Tree Trust's Green Futures initiative. Severe weather rolled in halfway through the event and curtailed the planting, but Tree Trust's Young Adult Conservation Corps finished the job the following Monday.

The planting began with a brief program recognizing the donations to Tree Trust's Green Futures initiative that made the event possible. Many trees were donated in memory of Tree Trust's CEO David Hawes, who passed away in February after a battle with cancer, and his family said a few words about his life-long commitment to Tree Trust and passion for trees.

A workshop followed to teach all volunteers how to plant trees the right way. Trees planted included red maple, Japanese tree lilac, red splendor crabapple, hackberry, basswood, thornless honey locust, black hills spruce and quaking aspen.

After about half the trees were planted, flickers of lightning appeared in the distance and rain started to fall. Many volunteers took shelter in their vehicles to wait out the unsafe weather, but the storm refused to pass. On Monday, a crew of Tree Trust Young Adult Conservation Corps job-trainees worked at the park to plant the remaining trees.

Lisle Park, a 15.5-acre city park on the south side of the Hunters Crest neighborhood, was chosen as a Green Futures planting site through a competitive proposal process. The City of Minnetrista submitted an application to Tree Trust that demonstrated the financial and environmental need for trees in Lisle Park and the City's commitment to ensuring the trees' long-term survival.

This Tree Trust - Green Futures planting was made possible by individual donations, a matching grant from a local family foundation, and a contribution from Cargill, Inc. - BiOH ®polyols division. For additional information or to get involved with Tree Trust's Green Futures, contact Tracie Huhn, Director of Development and Marketing, at tracieh@treetrust.org or 651-644-5800.


Tree Trust is a Minnesota 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 to provide out-of-work individuals with training and paid jobs reforesting the community. They have since expanded to provide integrated employment training, environmental education and community forestry programs to youth and adults in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota.

The City of Minnetrista is located on the western bays of Lake Minnetonka and the agricultural rich plains and idyllic woodlands of southwestern Hennepin County. The name Minnetrista is derived from the Native American word "minne" meaning waters, and "trista" meaning crooked. The 32 square miles is home to 6,234 residents who enjoy the rural residential and lakeside settings. Whether you're just passing through, or spending some time at one of the enchanting area parks, you will be welcomed in Minnetrista!

Plant A Wish and some trees June 2

We hope you'll join us on June 2 at 5:00 PM to plant a wish along with 15-20 native trees on the Midtown Greenway, just east of Hiawatha Ave. and the Martin Olav Sabo bridge (near the intersection of Minnehaha Ave. & E. 29th St.). While we're planting, the lovely folks from Plant A Wish will film us for their nation-wide tree-planting documentary film project.

We are looking for at least 100 people to join us for this special event. Adults, kids, families and groups are welcome. Everyone is welcome to plant a wish; you'll write your wish on a bit of brown grocery bag and put it in the ground with a tree when it's being planted.

We have a limited number of spots (40-50) available for people who want to actually plant the trees, so please respond quickly if you're hoping to do the dirty work.

And we could especially use the help of our Tree Trainers. If you've taken our Tree Training in the last few years and are available to lead and supervise volunteers at this special event, please let us know.

Please RSVP to tracieh@treetrust.org and let us know if you are interested in planting, wishing or both!*

Check out the press release for this event to learn more about the partnership. You can also check out Plant A Wish on Facebook (and check out Tree Trust, too, while you're at it) and at their website.

*This event will be filmed. Attendees may appear in the documentary and promotional materials.

Weeding Wednesdays - pull weeds to save trees along the Midtown Greenway

While our Young Adult Conservation Corps crews work hard to mow the grass and water the trees along the Midtown Greenway, we need more hands to dig in and pull the massive weeds that bully the trees by stealing their nutrients and their lunch money.

That's where you come in. You can help us get a handle on the weeds along the Greenway by volunteering to pull them out of the ground on Wednesday evenings from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. We'll be at different locations each Wednesday, so keep an eye on our schedule of upcoming events to find out where you can join us. Or, if you'd rather look at a map than a calendar, you can take a look at our Google map of Weeding Wednesdays.

When you find a Weeding Wednesday you'd like to join, just email jessicas@treetrust.org or call Jessica at 651-644-5800 to sign up.

Celebrate Earth Day's birthday with trees for the Twin Cities

April 22, 2010 will be the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, started in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as a grassroots movement to raise awareness about the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been working on separate environmental issues - from pollution and oil spills to the extinction of wildlife - came together around a common cause and began the modern environmental movement.

In celebration of Earth Day's birthday, we hope you'll come together around our common environmental cause: trees for the Twin Cities. Whether you volunteer, donate, or spread the word, your support makes our community that much greener.

Here's what we're doing to help the environment this spring, along with tips for how you can help.

2010 Youth Conservation Corps now accepting applications

We are now accepting applications for our Youth Conservation Corps, a nine-week summer youth employment training program that puts youth to work in our communities. Dakota and suburban Hennepin County residents can download this application, and Washington County residents can download this one.

This program is very popular and fills up quickly, so apply early for the best chance of getting a job this summer.

Edit 5/28/2010: The Youth Conservation Corps program is full for 2010, and we are no longer accepting applications.

Youth Conservation Corps job offers will be made the first week of June. All applicants will receive one of the following letters by mail; a job offer letter or a waiting list letter. Applicants will need to respond to their job offer by the deadline indicated in the letter or the offer will be retracted. For those on the waiting list, we will contact you by telephone if a position comes available after the program begins.

What you can do for the Twin Cities

In the Twin Cities, thousands of trees are lost each year to storms, pests, and disease. Thousands of young people face barriers to success in work and in life. And thousands of youth grow up without ever experiencing a connection with the natural world.

Luckily for the Twin Cities, people like you take action and work with Tree Trust to solve these problems. In the process, we enrich our own lives.

In the October issue of Community Ties, we asked you to tell us how getting involved with Tree Trust has impacted your life. Here are just a few of the great responses we received: