Tornado anniversary

Thanksgiving is a bittersweet holiday this year for many of our neighbors in North Minneapolis. Yesterday was the 6-month anniversary of the tornado that devastated a large swath of the city that was already battling poverty and related problems. Six months have passed and many homes still have tarps on roofs and windows to keep out the cold and snow.

A lot of great organizations, government agencies, and individuals have been on the ground providing assistance, but there is much more to be done. As we give thanks this year for all that we have, please don't forget those who are less fortunate. Consider making a donation to help our neighbors this Thanksgiving. The Minnesota Helps - North Minneapolis Recovery Fund supports many organizations in recovery efforts, and there are also many other opportunities to help that may fit your interests.

Tree Trust continues to partner with the City of Minneapolis and others to aid in recovery efforts. Our YouthBuild program has worked to rehab and rebuild homes and apartment buildings in tornado damaged neighborhoods. Our Community Forestry Department has distributed 202 trees so far to residents of North Minneapolis who had their tree canopy devastated by the tornado. YouthBuild and Community Forestry will continue working in the area in the coming year. Visit Tree Trust's website to make a donation or for more information.

If you are a resident of North Minneapolis who was affected by the tornado, the City of Minneapolis established a tornado assistance fund to help homeowners rebuild. If you think you may qualify, visit the tornado recovery page of the City of Minneapolis website for more information on available resources.

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.

Young Adult Conservation Corps recruiting participants

Tree Trust’s Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC) program is recruiting participants for its next session. The program is designed for low-income young adults, ages 18-21, and the upcoming session begins December 6th and lasts three months.

YACC crew building a boardwalk at Westwood Hills Nature Center

Participants are paid minimum wage to start. Their work consists of landscaping and construction work including parks improvement projects, year-round maintenance services along the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority trail system, planting trees and shrubs, and mowing lawns and shoveling snow at foreclosed properties.

Additionally, there is an educational component to the program; participants spend four hours of their 39-hour work week in Tree Trust's classroom. They learn about topics such as: tool safety and operation, employment readiness (resumes, interview skills, etc.), and money management. They are also certified in First Aid and OSHA 10-hour safety.
 

You can find more information about the program here. If you have additional questions or need more information, please contact Keith Wyne at keithw@treetrust.org or 612-590-3655.

The start date is fast approaching and Tree Trust is excited to connect with enthusiastic applicants.

Tree Trust recruiting schools for Learning with Trees

Tree Trust is recruiting school partners for this spring’s Learning with Trees program. Learning with Trees helps schools around the state build  environmental science programs that involve the creation of outdoor learning areas on their grounds.

Tree Trust provides a combination of trees, shrubs, benches, and bird feeders that are placed on school grounds to fit the school's needs.The program is free of charge and culminates in an all-school planting day where every student plays a role in planting a tree.

 

Students at Hilltop Primary School on their planting day

Learning with Trees engages teachers, staff, parents and guardians, and volunteers to create Green Teams that develop a landscape plan that will meet the school's environmental and educational goals.
 

Prior to the school's planting day, Tree Trust brings the Our Town Trees Exhibit, developed in conjunction with the Minnesota Science Museum, to the school. The exhibit includes five interactive modules that teach students the importance of trees to the environment.

On the planting day, Tree Trust staff and volunteers lead groups of students through the entire process of planting a tree. The students are assigned various roles - digger, planter, mulcher, waterer - and trained volunteers and staff make sure they plant their trees properly. Every student gets to help plant.

Following the planting, schools receive a Tree Trunk, which is a duffel bag that includes 20 lessons for grades K-12, as well as outdoor activities and environmental education tools. The lessons cover a variety of subjects including forest management, science, math, social studies, and language arts.

If your school is interested in becoming a partner school, please visit the Learning with Trees program page for more information, or contact Karen Zumach at karenz@treetrust.org or 612-590-2536.