Author: neighborhoodforest

Onwards and Upwards!

Posted on July 10, 2013 by vnarula

It’s summertime. Temperatures are up, trees are green again, and the small army of tamaracks from our free tree giveaway back in April are soaking up the sun’s rays in front and backyards around the Twin Cities.

The trees are enjoying the summer weather, comfy, sitting in their lounge chairs working on their tans, but you can imagine their bewilderment – and ours – when spring was a whole other story.

Just like spring, another Earth Day is behind us and we’re busy writing up a new chapter for next year. Before we share what we’re up to, we wanted to say that whatever we’re embarking on is, in large part, due to you. Yes, pat yourself on the back. All the positive energy you’ve sent us this year — your uplifting emails, phone calls, Facebook posts, words of encouragement, testimonials, they’ve given us the confidence that we’re ready to take Neighborhood Forest to the next level.

What we’re saying is this: you’ve given us a BHAG.

We know this sounds like something that requires ointment and a visit to our doctor, but a BHAG doesn’t need medical attention. If you haven’t heard the term, it stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal. We mentioned it a few times on our Facebook page, but if you’re not on Facebook with us (and haven’t made us your BFF yet), we’ll mention it again.

We hope to reach 100 schools and plant over 10,000 trees in 2014.

This is a tenfold increase from what we did this year.

We know it’s an ambitious target, but we feel it’s time to reach for the sky. Think big. Branch out. It’s not hard to see how much of our inspiration comes from trees. We think we can do it. We believe with your help, anything is possible.

We are busy connecting with new sponsors.  Generous individuals are signing up everyday to sponsor a child, a classroom or even a whole school to plant trees.  People are excited about what we are doing. And so, we want to spread the word, let more people know and invite them to join us.

In that spirit, Neighborhood Forest has officially launched a campaign on one of the Internet’s most popular crowdfunding platforms. We think this platform is one way (among other paths we’re exploring) for us to reach our goal and build a base of Neighborhood Forest friends from around the country and around the world.

Thanks for your support and for helping us spread the word. Onwards and upwards!

Earth Day 2013

Posted on May 1, 2013 by vnarula

It was an unforgettable Earth Day.

Who could forget all the white fluffy stuff on the ground and the below freezing temperatures that surprised us that morning? It felt more appropriate to hand out snow shovels and earmuffs than hand out trees!

Fortunately, Mother Nature’s little joke didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm. We were able to give away nearly 1000 tamarack trees at 11 schools across the Twin Cities this year. Parents were instructed to keep their children’s little tamaracks refrigerated until the outside temperature was suitable for planting.

Fortunately, a few days later, the sun came out and temperatures went up. Parents and kids, with sleeves rolled up, shovels in hand, got the chance to plant the trees in their yards. No doubt the tamaracks were happy as well, settled in their new homes with their roots firmly nestled in the ground again.

Thank you everyone — participating schools, school coordinators, parents and sponsors — for your encouragement and support during our free tree giveaway this year.

We look forward to getting more schools onboard, giving away more trees, and bringing more smiles to children in 2014.

We hope you enjoy some of these highlights from Earth Day 2013!

Earth Day is Coming. The New Hires are Waiting.

Posted on April 6, 2013 by vnarula

“Mr. Finneas, your 9 am is here.”

“Send him in.”

Door creaks open.

“Come in, come in. You must be Mr. Quercus Alba.”

“Yes, sir. But you can call me Bob.”

“Sure Bob. Please have a seat.”

“I prefer to stand, sir.”

“Sure. Look, Bob, we reviewed your resume and here’s what we think: it’s outstanding. Graduated top of your class. Strong commitment to community service. Ivy League.”

“It’s actually oak, sir.”

“Right. What’s more, you have an impressive skill set.”

“Well, it’s nothing really…I…”

“Nothing? Produce oxygen, improve air quality, clean the soil, control noise pollution, slow storm water run off, provide shade, act as a windbreak, fight soil erosion…”

“Create spreadsheets.”

“Really…I…didn’t…”

“Kidding.”

“Right. Look Bob, your skills are great, but we’re concerned about our bottom line here at Finneas and Fir, and well, you know…”

“Money doesn’t grow on trees, right?”

“Right.”

“Wrong, sir. I increase property values too.”

“Really?”

“Second page, sir, under additional qualifications — next to eye for detail.”

“Right. Well, I think that settles it. Congratulations Bob. You’re hired. Now if we only had more overachievers like you on board, we’d be able to cut out some of the deadwood around here.”

“Excuse me, sir?”

“Figure of speech.”

“Oh.”

If trees were employees, anyone would hire them. They are great workers. They don’t take vacations, they work long hours and definitely don’t embarrass themselves at office parties.

Like any great worker, they impact the environment around them. The roles that trees play in our neighborhoods and our communities directly affect the quality of our air, water and soil. What are some of those roles?

Trees make our lungs happy by cleaning the air. They take in carbon dioxide through their leaves and give off oxygen we need to breathe. A mature tree pumps out as much oxygen in one season as 10 people will inhale in an entire year.

When there’s rain, a tree’s roots help hold soil in place to prevent erosion, which not only saves soil but also keeps our streams, rivers and lakes cleaner.

“Trees, these wonderful stewards of the Earth, deserve our appreciation. On April 22, Earth Day, we invite you to spread the love.”

Of course, they are many ways in which trees affect our environment. That’s why these wonderful stewards of the Earth deserve our appreciation. On April 22, Earth Day, we invite you to spread the love.

On Earth Day we’re giving hundreds of trees away to over 10 schools throughout the Twin Cities. If you’re the parent of a child getting a tree, plant it with them and make it an event. Post a picture on Facebook or tweet about it to your friends and family. Your tree will love all the attention.

The trees are ready to meet their new families this Earth Day. Make them feel welcome. They’ve got a lot of work to do!

For more information on the many ways in which trees affect our urban environments, check out this excellent video.

Planting Roots Online

Posted on February 1, 2013 by vnarula

Welcome to our new website!

Thank you for being here. We hope the new website makes it easier for you to connect with us and find out what’s happening at Neighborhood Forest.

You might be familiar with us already. You might be a school coordinator, the parent of a child who received a free tree at school, or one of our green sponsors — if so, we’d like to thank you. It’s your commitment to Neighborhood Forest that’s helped us give more free trees to more schoolchildren each year. Your encouragement, your suggestions and your continuing support have been invaluable. Neighborhood Forest couldn’t have gotten this far without you.

If you are new to Neighborhood Forest, consider this an invitation to be part of our online community. Friend us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or drop us a line. Let us know your thoughts.

“You might be a school coordinator, the parent of a child who received a free tree at school, or one of our green sponsors — if so, we’d like to thank you.”

If your thoughts are you’d like more people to know what we’re doing, feel free to pass a friendly word along, or better yet, become a school coordinator or even a sponsor. Tell a friend, speak to your child’s teacher, your next-door neighbor, your boss, the school around the corner, the green business down the block, or even that progressive uncle who can’t stop talking about his plug-in hybrid, about our mission to give away free trees to kids every Earth Day.

What if you know people who live outside the Twin Cities or Minnesota? No worries. They’re welcome here too. We plan to expand beyond our state borders in the future, so we may be in their neighborhood soon.

So thank you again, all of you, new friends and old, for your interest in Neighborhood Forest.

We hope you stick around for this exciting journey. Together, we’ll be able to get more small trees into the little hands of more beautiful children.