On October 2nd, I got an email from my teacher: I’ve found a service program replenishing our school’s carbon usage by planting trees, and I think this is something we could do. Since the program especially highlights youth involvement, would you like to take on a leadership role in planning the tree-planting event?
I was so excited. I’d participated in donation drives and community efforts before, but I never thought that I could be someone organizing the event, especially as a student. I looked through the website my teacher had linked, tree-plenish.org, and the first thing I noticed was a statement saying that Tree-Plenish prioritizes communities. This was such a compelling image: people from all around town and all walks of life buying up a sapling for their home. There will be a tent, there will be a poster, there will be a stack of fresh tree saplings…
That evening, I emailed my teacher to accept and thank her for the opportunity.
Over the next seven months, our Tree-Plenish group worked on finding sponsors, attending meetings, filming announcements, and sending many emails. I found myself increasingly feeling like an active member of my town’s community (there’s that word again) while having fun at the same time. We watched our number of saplings ordered grow to nearly 400, 200 more than our original goal, which I didn’t even know was possible.
Our tree-planting event was set for May 1st. Volunteers came to pick up saplings they were going to plant in people’s yards. We wrapped each eastern redbud and red maple as people came by. I met old friends, teachers, and many new strangers. We perfected our speech, telling everyone how to take care of their saplings and handing them the proper materials. It was an incredible experience, and we got to see the power of a collective community effort, as well youth leadership.
But, it didn’t end there. Over the past few years following our Tree-Plenish event I’ve been inspired to start more service and volunteer-based initiatives, but also, continue with Tree-Plenish. I applied for the Tree-Plenish summer internship and now work as part of their Strategy and Communications team.
Remember, my story started with my teacher reaching out to me. But how easy would it be if you actively pitched Tree-Plenish to a teacher, friends, and/or an environmental club (especially after reading this article)? To host your own Tree-Plenish event, the first step is filling out our interest form. We hope you’ll join us!
Have any questions? Ask us at marketing@tree-plenish.org. It all starts with an email!
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