Tree Trust celebrates 35 years

Thirty-five years ago Donald Willeke and G. Rolf Svendsen had two dreams: to reforest the Twin Cities after the devastation caused by Dutch elm disease, and to give training and jobs to the many youth and young adults who were out of work. And so began the Twin Cities Tree Trust (now Tree Trust).

That first year we established tree nurseries in Plymouth, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove and Eagan, and we put 1,450 people to work on improvement projects throughout the metro area. They replaced diseased elm trees with healthy, new trees. They built boardwalks, maintained trails, and made our parks and recreation areas more beautiful and accessible.

Over the next fifteen years Tree Trust continued to combine job training with community forestry work, making lasting environmental improvements and helping thousands of disadvantaged youth and adults reshape their lives.

In 1992 we added our Learning with Trees environmental education program, and over the next ten years received national awards for our environmental and job training efforts.

Tree Trust expanded rapidly at the start of the new millennium. We added the Community Support Program in 2000. We dropped the “Twin Cities” from our name in 2003 and officially became Tree Trust. In 2004 we took a proactive approach to creating a more financially sound future by launching Landscape Services, our earned income venture. And over the next six years we adopted a new agency logo, added more programs (YouthBuild and Youth Development Services), expanded our existing programs, and involved significantly more volunteers in our community work.

In 2011, as we celebrate 35 years of service to the Twin Cities, we are bringing our programs and services that currently operate out of four separate locations into one building. We are so proud of what we’ve done in 35 years, and look forward to what we’ll accomplish – with the help of the community – over the next 35 years.

Watch a timeline of our 35 years.

Tree Trust youth featured in Minnesota Youth Program report

The MN Department of Employment and Economic Development – Minnesota Youth Program has supported our Youth Conservation Corps program for many years. The 2010 Minnesota Youth Program report was recently published and features many Tree Trust youth success stories. You’ll find these profiles on pages 21 – 24, 29 and 34. Click here to read the report.