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RUSTON RETREET
February 7th-9th, 2020

Through nearly a decade of excellence in the field, RETREET has become the national authority in post-disaster community-based tree planting. Our presence and reputation has grown to the extent that, when searching for help online or through industry contacts, impacted communities quickly come across our unique mission and the diverse community who have rallied to our cause. We are well on our way to redefining disaster relief.

On April 25th, 2019, an EF3 tornado ripped a path of destruction though Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, taking 2 lives and leaving an estimated $9.1 million in damage. Less than 2 weeks later, we received an email from Sarah Warren, a member of the Ruston Planning and Zoning Commission, asking for our assistance in addressing the incredible loss of trees in her community. Following a phone call with Sarah and John Waltz, the City Planner for Ruston, wheels began to turn to bring Ruston RETREET into being.

MEETING WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS IN RUSTON

Our first point of outreach was to Keep Lincoln Parish Beautiful, who submitted a grant application to the Community Restoration and Resiliency Fund, established and managed by our national partner Keep America Beautiful. We also contacted The Home Depot Foundation, another longtime partner, in coordination with their main store in Shreveport. Not only did we hope to gain financial support from these institutions, we also aimed to gather volunteers and make additional contacts who would empower Ruston RETREET.

Following a number of email conversations with representatives from City of Ruston and Louisiana Tech University, we chose a date in July to visit to Lincoln Parish in order to meet local community leaders, discuss the needs of the event, and ask for their assistance.

During our visit, representatives from Lincoln Parish Fund: a fund of Community Foundation of North Louisiana offered to support Ruston RETREET with a $35,000 contribution, an amount made up of donations large and small that had been collected throughout the surrounding community for disaster relief work. City of Ruston offered trucks and trailers to deliver trees and supplies to home sites and reserved the Ruston Civic Center for the celebratory dinner that would follow planting day. Weyerhaeuser kicked in an additional $5,000 for the project and promised volunteers to help RETREETers and city crews with the deliveries.

Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce asked if RETREET would like to serve as grand marshal of the annual Christmas Parade. Known to draw huge crowds in Ruston, the parade would be an excellent opportunity for us to spread the word about the planting.

MARSHALLING THE RUSTON-LINCOLN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHRISTMAS PARADE

A small group of RETREETers traveled to Ruston to participate in the parade on December 14th, 2019. With an amazing new wrap job on our tool trailer, prime placement in the lineup, and a boisterous moose in the bed of our truck, the RETREET rig drew plenty of attention. RETREETers handed out 1,000 flyers and a mountain of candy to the excited residents. CLICK HERE to see a video of us marshaling the parade.

Our awareness campaign continued, as Mayor Ronny Walker sent out regular alerts on social media, City of Ruston posted the tree request page on their website, and a direct mailer was sent to the owners of all 415 homes that were designated as affected by the tornado by the Louisiana National Guard.

By mid-January, over 80 requests for trees had been received. When mapped, the requests eerily matched the path of the tornado.

A MAP OF PLANTING REQUESTS SHOWS THE PATH OF THE TORNADO

The credo of RETREET is to plant the right tree in the right place the right way at the right time. Our process focuses on maximizing these elements above all else.

An approved tree species list was provided by the forester for City of Ruston, and 180 native 15-gallon trees—including Shumard Oak, Red Maple, Pecan, and Eastern Redbud—were reserved at Tree Town USA, a steady source of quality trees that has been one of RETREET’s sponsors since the very beginning. Our staff reached out to families who had submitted requests to ensure that they, and their property, were ready to receive and care for trees. Professors at Louisiana Tech University began engaging forestry and agriculture students to work alongside local arborists and landscape architects as members of Team Locate, who selected planting locations following the marking of utilities.

MEMBERS OF LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY FORESTRY AND AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENTS SERVE ON TEAM LOCATE

RETREETers began to arrive in Ruston on Thursday, February 6th, 2020, and settled into a grouping of AirBnb residences directly across the street from the Ruston Civic Center. That first night, they visited the grocery store, sorted supplies for headquarters, the plantings, and the celebratory event, and sampled the local nightlife.

THE ADVANCE PARTY OF RETREETERS ENJOYS GAME OF POOL AT A LOCAL HANGOUT

The following morning, the RETREETers were pleasantly surprised by City of Ruston and over 50 local volunteers, mostly from Weyerhaeuser, who were waiting for them at Argent Pavilion on the Louisiana Tech University campus to help deliver trees and supplies to home sites. With so much assistance, the runs were all completed in a record 2.5 hours.

Thankfully, the RETREETers had plenty of time to enjoy the sights and sounds of Ruston before heading to the welcome dinner at Ponchatoulas.

VOLUNTEERS FROM WEYERHAEUSER JOIN RETREETERS AND CITY STAFF TO DELIVER TREES AND SUPPLIES

On Saturday, February 8th, 2020, 152 volunteers gathered at Argent Pavilion to plant 171 native trees at 60 homes across Lincoln Parish. The group included athletes from Louisiana Tech University, Boy Scouts, Weyerhaeuser staff, Lowes Home Improvement employees, representatives from numerous Keep America Beautiful affiliates, and RETREETers from all across the country. It truly was an amazing display of community engagement.

152 VOLUNTEERS GATHERED TO PLANT TREES IN RUSTON, LA, ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH, 2020

Following an introduction from our executive director, Grady McGahan, Mayor Ronny Walker oriented the crowd to the realities of the tornado and the relief and recovery process that followed. After that, Lucius McGehee Jr, the vice chair of Lincoln Parish Fund, and Helen Lowman, the president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful explained the importance of our work and the reasons their organizations were moved to provide support.

The crowd was shown proper tree planting methods through an onsite demonstration, and then well-balanced small groups were formed who spent the rest of the afternoon visiting home sites and planting trees for expectant families.

A FAMILY IN LINCOLN PARISH RECEIVES A NEW TREE

That evening, volunteers, partners, and residents alike joined together at Ruston Civic Center for A Celebration of Community. The free event, sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, featured elevated cuisine, tasty cocktails, and jamming live music. Chef Justin Box, who traveled from Dallas, joined forces with local chef Desi Bourgeois of Grown and Grazed. Their collaboration, aided by the help of a few key volunteers, resulted in one of the most delicious feasts we ever have presented on RETREET. Ducado VeGA & Zenya brought down the house and elicited some choice dance moves from the crowd.

In addition to the sponsorship of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Lush Cosmetics and Marsala Beverage provided product for attendees to enjoy.

COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM LINCOLN PARISH GATHER FOR DINNER AT RUSTON CIVIC CENTER

Before heading out of town the next day, the RETREETers stopped at Argent Financial to plant a few more trees at a high visibility intersection, in thanks to those who contacted us and enabled our program to be brought to the aid of Lincoln Parish. Through their partnership and support, and following receipt of the grant from The Home Depot Foundation, we plan to return to Ruston this fall for a second round of planting.

RETREETERS PLANT A FEW MORE TREES BEFORE DEPARTING LINCOLN PARISH

Most RETREETers gathered back at The Urban Cloud in Dallas to discuss their experiences in Louisiana over a magnificent meal provided by Chef Sabrina Sauter. Of particular note was the fact that RETREET was conceptualized in Louisiana over 8 years ago, but that this was first opportunity our organization had to plant trees in that state. Needless to say, Ruston RETREET was a rousing success.

View the full photo album from Ruston RETREET by CLICKING HERE. These amazing images were taken by Tim Burdick Photography, who traveled all the way from Port Aransas, TX, to capture the event. A sampling of press we received can be seen below.

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ROCKPORT RETREET
November 15th-17th, 2019

When RETREET makes a commitment to replanting a community in the wake of disaster, we return to that community as many times as it takes to get the job done. Not everyone is ready to receive trees at the same time, not everyone hears about our program before our first visit, and, sometimes, there is just too much work to do in one go.

So, following our project in Port Aransas last year, we reached out to Keep Aransas County Beautiful to offer help replanting trees in other parts of Aransas County. Through KACB, meetings were set with elected officials, city staff, and leaders from local nonprofit and volunteer organizations. A planting date was chosen and the wheels for Rockport RETREET began turning. Residents were notified that a free tree planting would take place and requests for trees started flowing through our website.

MEMBERS OF KEEP ARANSAS COUNTY BEAUTIFUL INTRODUCE US TO ARANSAS COUNTY LONG TERM RECOVERY

We first reached out to sponsors who offered financial assistance to our program in Port Aransas in 2018. Without hesitation, The Home Depot Foundation gave $12,000 to purchase trees and supplies for Rockport RETREET and Tito’s Handmade Vodka gave $3,000 along with an additional $4,140 in product, advertising, and operational support for the community event that would follow our planting. H-E-B granted a $500 gift card for food and drinks for the volunteers and L&F Distributors donated beer for our community dinner. What a show of support!

Once we received funding for the trees, we visited Tree Town USA, a longtime partner who has consistently provided fantastic trees for our plantings. A robust group of 170 trees — coastal live oaks, cedar elms, and wax myrtles — were individually selected and tagged for delivery to Aransas County.

SELECTING TREES FOR ARANSAS COUNTY AT TREE TOWN USA

Two weeks before the planting, we began to submit utility locate requests to Texas 811. Planting a tree in the right place starts with knowing the locations of underground utility lines. Further, not only is submitting a request required by law, it makes planting much safer for volunteers.

At that point, the number of tree requests received surpassed 250, more than double the amount we would be able to address on planting day, Saturday, November 16th. We knew our work in Aransas County would bring us back to the area at least once, probably twice.

Meetings with Team Locate began to be scheduled. Volunteers from Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas Master Naturalists, Texas Master Gardeners, and Texas A&M Agrilife Extension visited with residents as planting day approached to discuss the trees we had to offer and choose proper planting locations at each home site.

On Wednesday, November 14th, the RETREET caravan departed departed Dallas, stopping along the way to pick up donated product from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, L&F Distributors, and H-E-B. They landed at Bimini House in Rockport, the use of which had been donated by the owner in thanks for our efforts in her community.

RETREETERS PICK UP DONATED PRODUCT FROM TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA

The morning of Friday, November 15th, donated trees and mulch arrived at Aransas County Airport, our staging area. RETREETers loaded these supplies onto smaller trucks provided by City of Rockport, Town of Fulton, Aransas County, and All Hands and Hearts, then delivered the planting materials to 90 home sites.

Following delivery, RETREET hosted a welcome dinner for volunteers and local partners at the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension office, directly across from the airport.

VOLUNTEERS UNLOAD TREES DONATED BY THE HOME DEPOT FOUNDATION

An astounding 153 volunteers materialized on Saturday, November 16th, to plant trees. The weather was perfect and the saying held — “the sun always shines on RETREET.” Many of the volunteers were members of Team Depot and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. RETREETers from California, Colorado, and Texas joined them, along with members of Team Locate.

153 VOLUNTEERS SHOWED UP TO PLANT TREES IN ARANSAS COUNTY ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH

Following a short program led by our executive director, Grady McGahan, the president of KACB, D’Ann Williams, and Aransas County Judge Burt Mills, the group learned how to properly plant a tree through a demonstration provided by Bill Green from Texas A&M Forest Service. Then, a dozen small groups were formed and sent out across Aransas County, where they planted 170 trees at 90 homes in 4 hours.

CAREFULLY PLANTING NATIVE TREES

That evening, we held A Celebration of Community! at La Palma Event Center, where volunteers, residents, and partners were treated to free live music, courtesy of Janelle Shetters, dinner from Butter Churn Restaurant, and drinks provided by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and L&F Distributors. It was an incredibly joyous occasion in celebration of all of the work that has been done to rebuild, and replant, Aransas County over the past 2 years.

Sunday morning, RETREETers were given a private tour of The Fulton Mansion. This historic home suffered major damage during Hurricane Harvey and, though restoration work still was underway, we were able to sneak a peak inside a month before it opened to the public — a truly special treat.

RETREETERS VISIT FULTON MANSION IN ROCKPORT

We also had a chance to visit the famous Big Tree, a 1,000 year-old live oak that once was a champion tree in Texas. It was a fitting end to a wonderful trip. Thereafter, most RETREETers began to return home, their hands sore and their hearts full.

A GROUP OF RETREETERS POSES IN FRONT OF BIG TREE

Our thanks go out to all of the sponsors, partners, and volunteers who made Rockport RETREET possible. The unique, generational impact we made together in Aransas County reestablished the environmental identity of that community.

View the photo album from Rockport RETREET by CLICKING HERE.

A plan to return already is in the works, and has been given a boost through a $10,000 Community Partner Grant from Keep America Beautiful and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Stay tuned!

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PORT ARANSAS RETREET
November 2nd-4th, 2018

Last June, our executive director, Grady McGahan, gave the keynote speech at the 50th Keep Texas Beautiful Annual Conference opening luncheon. He told the crowd all about our unique mission and diverse community, as well as the fortuitous series of events that brought both into being. After his presentation, representatives from Keep Port Aransas Beautiful (KPAB) approached Grady to ask him to come speak in Port Aransas to inspire local volunteers. He agreed. A date was set for his visit — August 29th, 2017.

A week before his speech was to take place at the Port Aransas Community Theater, Grady received a call from KPAB. The decision had been made to cancel the event due to a large storm approaching from the Gulf of Mexico. Two days later, on August 25th, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall.

THIS MAP OF HURRICANE HARVEY’S PATH WAS HAND DRAWN IN REAL TIME BY FEMA

A category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 130 mph, Hurricane Harvey left behind $125 billion in damage and 104 casualties in the US alone. Port Aransas took a direct hit.

While the Port Aransas Community Theater suffered heavy damage that morning, Grady’s name and the information regarding his speech miraculously remained on the marquee. KPAB sent Grady a photo of the marquee along with a request that he reschedule his visit. Instead of coming to speak about RETREET’s mission, he would lead RETREET in replanting Port Aransas. Dates were set for Port Aransas RETREET, the first of several intended replantings along the Texas coast.

PORT ARANSAS COMMUNITY THEATER MARQUEE AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY MADE LANDFALL

We first spoke with our national partner Keep America Beautiful (KAB) about our plans for Port Aransas. They generously offered $15,000 in support of Port Aransas RETREET from their Community Restoration and Resiliency Fund, which was established to assist affiliates, like KPAB, in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

The Home Depot Foundation offered $14,400 of trees, tools, and supplies, making this the twelfth consecutive RETREET they have supported over the past three years. Port Aransas RETREET also was made a Team Depot event for the district surrounding Corpus Christi, meaning numerous Home Depot volunteers would show up to plant with us.

Several other partners joined our growing coalition. Keep Texas Beautiful, through their Rebuilding Texas Fund, pledged $5,000 in aid, as did Keep Port Aransas Beautiful and EY. Huwa Enterprises sent a scientist to test soil samples across Port Aransas a month ahead of time to ensure our trees would survive, and donated 80 pounds of ribeye steak for our community dinner on Saturday night. Uncle Rick from Cash Cowboys also planned to join us for the planting. Port Aransas RETREET would be an episode in the show’s second season.

Residents of Port Aransas began requesting trees through our website in September. Working with longstanding sponsor Tree Town USA, we hand-selected 150 15-gallon native live oaks, cedar elms, and wax myrtles, all on the approved species list for the area provided by our partner Texas A&M Forest Service.

Two weeks before the planting, a utility locate request was submitted for each property. Then, a time was set with every resident to meet one-on-one with a member of Team Locate, a group of certified arborists who donate their time to determine proper planting locations on behalf of RETREET.

OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PERSONALLY SELECTED THE TREES FOR PORT ARANSAS RETREET

RETREET staff arrived in Port Aransas on Wednesday, October 31st, 2018, as did the RETREETmobile, filled with RETREETers from Dallas. Over the course of the next two days, thirty RETREETers from all over the US gathered in Port Aransas. They helped deliver trees and planting supplies, marked remaining planting locations, and set about preparing food and decorations for the celebratory dinner we would host at City of Port Aransas Civic Center on Saturday evening.

With all of the prep work finished, the group enjoyed a bonfire beach party by Rollin’ Tide Boil Co. Local band Larkin Brothers came to serenade the crowd, who were also shown a presentation about Port Aransas, the effects of Hurricane Harvey, and the impact we would make in the community.

A BONFIRE BEACH PARTY FOR RETREETERS ON FRIDAY NIGHT

On Saturday, November 3rd, 2018, 78 volunteers gathered at City of Port Aransas Civic Center. They were welcomed by our executive director, Grady McGahan, the nature preserve manager, Colleen Simpson, Port Aransas city councilwoman and KPAB board member, Joan Holt, and the mayor of Port Aransas, Charles Bujan. After observing a proper tree planting demonstration given by Bill Green, the regional Texas A&M Forest Service community forester, the volunteers were broken into small groups and sent to home sites.

That afternoon, they planted 150 native trees at 88 homes and at the town animal shelter, library, and nature center headquarters in a mere 5 hours.

THE PORT ARANSAS RETREET PLANTING GROUP

A Celebration of Community at City of Port Aransas Civic Center immediately followed the planting, sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. The entire town of Port Aransas received an invitation to free dinner, drinks, and live music, along with a chance to get to know our the members of our community.

Chef Justin Box traveled from Dallas to prepare a surf and turf masterpiece, featuring fresh gulf shrimp from legendary local boat The Polly Anna, smoked ribeye from Huwa Reserve, couscous salad, and roasted vegetables. H-E-B provided $300 worth of ingredients for the feast, and IGA contributed $100.

Tito’s Handmade vodka served up apple cider mules and Lazy Beach Brewing offered a selection of local craft beer. Corpus Christi band Scarecrow People and 2014 Dallas Observer Music Awards winner Dezi 5 (Best Live Act) entertained the crowd well into the evening. A Celebration of Community was a very well attended and unforgettable event.

A SURF AND TURF FEAST PREPARED BY CHEF JUSTIN BOX

On Sunday, November 4th, 2018, RETREETers toured Port Aransas, took a boat ride through the bay past the Lydia Ann Lighthouse, planted a few more trees, and enjoyed one last dinner together before heading home. They also enjoyed watching and reading the press that Port Aransas RETREET received, including this article from Corpus Christi Caller Times and the news stories below.

Our thanks go out to all of the sponsors, partners, and volunteers who made Port Aransas RETREET possible. The unique, generational impact we made together in Port Aransas reestablished the environmental identity of that community, providing shade for islanders and habitat for birds and other wildlife.

View the photo album from Port Aransas RETREET by CLICKING HERE.

Already, excitement is building for our next RETREET, as well as for our return to the coast of Texas. Be sure to join our mailing list so you don’t miss any announcements!

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ROWLETT RETREET II
December 8th-10th, 2017

On Saturday, December 9th, 2017, 88 volunteers from 4 different states and Mexico, including representatives from our partners Team Depot and Lush Cosmetics, planted 87 trees for 44 families at home sites in Rowlett and Garland, TX, in the wake of a devastating EF4 tornado that struck on December 26, 2015. It was our second planting in these cities alongside Texas Trees Foundation and Keep Rowlett Beautiful in as many years—a strong showing of our community and our commitment to completing the job. This year, we were excited to welcome the financial support of both City of Rowlett and City of Garland, who each contributed $10,000 to our continued efforts in their neighborhoods.

ROWLETT RETREET II PLANTING GROUP

RETREETers arrived from Los Angeles and Austin to help our staff deliver supplies and materials to home sites on Friday, the 8th. A welcome dinner followed at Kalachandji's, a gourmet vegetarian restaurant and long-time favorite of our executive director. There, most RETREETers were oriented to the weekend's events and offered an opportunity to catch up and make new friends.

After a quick stop at Lakewood Brewing Company, a stalwart sponsor who donated proceeds from a raffle held during the launch party of their 2017 Bourbon Barrel Temptress to our efforts in Garland, RETREETers spent the remainder of the night playing board games and catching up at The Urban Cloud, our live/work space in Dallas, TX.

THE MAYOR OF ROWLETT ADDRESSES VOLUNTEERS

The next morning, the assembled crowd was greeted by the mayor of Rowlett and several city council members, all of whom addressed the volunteers. The City of Rowlett even proclaimed December 9th the official arbor day of Rowlett for 2017!

After a tree planting demonstration from our partners Texas Trees Foundation, 9 groups of volunteers were sent to home sites throughout the area, where they planted trees for those affected by the tornado that struck almost 2 years earlier. Many hands make light work!

A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS PLANTS A TREE IN ROWLETT

Work started at 11:00am and lasted until about 3:00pm, when the last group returned. All trees and tools were accounted for and the core group returned to Dallas to share dinner and stories from the day.

A JOB WELL DONE!

That evening, an amazing meal was served at The Urban Cloud by Kitchen, a new restaurant in East Dallas. Chef Scott Jones even came by to deliver the delicious food himself—a heaping helping of brisket, biscuits, mac & cheese, potato salad, and cowboy beans. A top-notch selection of beers was provided by Lakewood Brewing Company. It was a hearty and satisfying way to end an impactful day.

DINNER AT THE URBAN CLOUD WITH CHEF SCOTT JONES

On Sunday, most RETREETers did their own thing. Several joined new and old local friends for brunch, and others relaxed at The Urban Cloud and discussed the future of RETREET. That evening, everyone reconvened for Stone Soup with Artist Sustainability Project. They were given a presentation about the intersection of art, environment, and cooking, and how all three could be conjoined to create a vibrant community.

STONE SOUP WITH THE ARTIST SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT

ROWLETT RETREET II was a fantastic way to end our 6th year. It was also the last RETREET of the current era, as big changes are planned for 2018. Bigger, faster, better, stronger!

PHOTO ALBUM

PRESS

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KOKOMO RETREET
November 3rd-5th, 2017

On August 24th, 2016, an EF3 tornado struck Kokomo, IN, damaging and destroying homes, apartments, and businesses throughout the city. At the request of Indiana Department of Natural Resources and in partnership with City of Kokomo and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc., RETREET organized 47 volunteers representing 6 states, FCA US, and Team Depot to plant 120 trees at 56 homes sites and in Highland Park on Saturday, November 4th, 2017. Funding for the event was provided by The Home Depot Foundation, Heritage, Duke Energy, and Davey Resource Group.

OUR PLANTING GROUP IN KOKOMO

The week leading up to our planting, members of Team Locate, comprised of employees from Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc., Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and Duke Energy, met with each resident to determine planting locations for each tree, taking into account utility lines (above and below), sidewalks, driveways, and building position. Right tree, right place!

MAP OF PLANTING LOCATIONS FOR KOKOMO RETREET

On Thursday, November 2nd, the RETREET rig and the RETREETmobile joined forces, as RETREETers from across the U.S. converged in Indianapolis. The following day, they drove to Kokomo to receive trees from Woody Warehouse Nursery and planting supplies from The Home Depot. After offloading the supplies, the merry band of volunteers distributed the material to home sites in anticipation of planting the following day. City of Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc., were on site to help.

THE HOME DEPOT DELIVERS SUPPLIES TO KOKOMO

That evening, we hosted a welcome dinner at The Rathskeller for RETREETers, as well as local friends and family. The Rathskeller is located within Athenæum, an ornate, historic building in the Mass Ave area of Indianapolis that was designed and built by Kurt Vonnegut's grandfather, Bernard Vonnegut. The heart of the German community in Indianapolis, The Rathskeller serves up delicious German food and beer, and has a fantastic performance space in the back where our group watch local band Stella Luna perform.

A NIGHT OUT AT THE RATHSKELLER

On Saturday, November 4th, our ranks swelled with local volunteers who showed up to plant in Kokomo. Greg Goodnight, the mayor of Kokomo, addressed the gathered crowd, telling them stories of the tornado, the aftermath of that destructive event, and the importance of our efforts to bring a sense of environmental identity back to his community. On the heels of an entertaining tree planting demonstration given by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc., small groups headed out to home sites to plant 120 native trees for 56 families.

A HAPPY FAMILY IN KOKOMO WITH THEIR NEW TREE

Once planting had finished, volunteers returned to Rodgers Pavilion in Highland Park, where dinner was provided by Nameless Catering. Volunteers shared stories from the day and exchanged information with new friends. RETREETers then bid farewell to Kokomo and headed back to Indianapolis for a night out on the town.

The next day, we loaded up the RETREETmobile and drove over to 100 Acres Art and Nature Park, where local RETREETers showed us the grounds, where some incredible installation art pieces and trees were on display. After a warm meal at Yats and a stop for truffles and cocoa at The Best Chocolate, we spent the remainder of the afternoon at Midland Arts & Antique Market. As the reviews suggest, it was a fun place to spend a rainy day. Everyone found a treasure, or two. We made dinner together at our Airbnb that evening to celebrate the birthday of one of our most ardent RETREETers. 

TAKING A TOUR OF THE ART PARK AT 100 ACRES

After dropping off a few folks at the airport in the morning, the remainder of our host visited the headquarters of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc., where were we given a full tour. It was incredibly impressive to see and a clear model for our future operations. We learned a lot just by seeing what they have built over the past 40 years. KOKOMO RETREET wound down with a walk around Fountain Square and a craft sandwich from Wildwood Market. It was so good, we left a review.

THE GREEN ROOF ON TOP OF KIBI HEADQUARTERS

Once back in Dallas, we received a letter from the mayor of Kokomo. It was wonderful to hear how much our planting meant to that community. We look forward to our return!

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BOULDER RETREET III
June 2nd-5th, 2017

Our plan to return to Lyons, CO, a community of about 2,000 people 15 miles north of Boulder, began to formulate immediately upon the successful completion of BOULDER RETREET II. Local partners asked us to return the following year to attend to residents who were not ready to receive trees during our first planting in their community. We were quick to say yes. Talks also began with City of Lyons to generate a plan for the 28 barren buyout lots peppered throughout the confluence area, a storyline that continues to develop!

RETREET staff struck out for Boulder on Tuesday, May 30th, driving the RETREETmobile and new RETREET truck out-of-state for the first time. A host of activities awaited and the RETREET family was ready for this reunion. It was sure to be an excellent way to end the 2016/2017 planting season.

After checking into the amazing home we reserved 5 miles up Sunshine Canyon, we went for a hike, picked up food for the week, and set about finalizing our plans for the planting. Excitement built.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

Most RETREETers arrived in Boulder on Thursday, June 1st. That evening, the group attended a Chromeo and Rüfüs du Sol concert at Red Rocks, one of the most incredible performance venues in North America. We danced the night away as the sunset gave way to the moonrise over Denver. It was truly magical.

WAITING FOR THE SHOW TO START AT RED ROCKS

The next morning, trees and supplies were delivered to Lyons by our partners The Home Depot and Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery. RETREETers spent most of the day unloading and distributing the materials to home sites. They also enjoyed a walk around the community, during which they visited trees planted the previous year, spoke with residents, and explored a newly-rebuilt park across the street from the confluence area. It was wonderful to see so much progress in Lyons and to know we'd played an important role.

The group then drove over the mountain to Jamestown, the location of our planting during BOULDER RETREET back in 2015. We met with a town representative at Jamestown Mercantile, a familiar haunt, and ordered an epic round of pizzas. While they were baking, the crew explored the small community and checked on the progress of the trees that were planted 2 years earlier. We are happy to report that the vast majority of them were doing incredibly well! Several locals came out to say hello and thank us for the impact we'd made.

VISITING TREES IN JAMESTOWN

The next day started off with a special treat. Unbeknownst to us, Sunshine Pottery Studio also called our rented abode home, and the proprietors of the Airbnb were the artists themselves. They offered a pottery class to the RETREETers, and the offer was heartily accepted. We spent the morning throwing clay on wheels and came away with some great creations, especially for first attempts. After the pottery class, the cadre went for a gorgeous hike through Lefthand Canyon. Some RETREETers were a bit more adventurous than others, scaling boulders and finding epic perches along the way. The only fitting way to end such a fantastic day was to whip up a big meal. Together, that's exactly what we did.

THROWING POTS AT SUNSHINE POTTERY

Following a solid sleep with full bellies, the RETREETers arose Sunday morning, June 5th, ready to plant trees. Joined by 26 Team Depot volunteers and supported by Colorado State Forest Service, the ensemble planted 55 native trees at 11 homes sites and in 3 buyout properties, the latter of which were to serve as a pilot for others, as aforementioned. Luckily, the weather was perfect. Digging conditions were tough, given a large amount of compaction and rocks washing into the soil by the flood, but the group persevered.

Most RETREETers headed home that evening or the following day, but not before we got in a good bike ride around Boulder. BOULDER RETREET III was a productive, relaxing, and meaningful experience. Can't wait for the next one! Special thanks to additional sponsors Lyons Garden Club and Lyons Lions Club.

BIKING AROUND BOULDER

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WIMBERLEY RETREET II
March 25th+26th, 2017

We began to replant Wimberley, TX, in the wake of a devastating flood in January of 2016, as 33 RETREETers traveled to Wimberley from 7 states and Washington, D.C., to join 45 additional volunteers in planting 206 trees at 37 homes and 2 community parks during 8 hours of hard work. Given the success of our first event in Wimberley and the continued need for our services, we planned a second, similar event.

WIMBERLEY RETREET PLANTING GROUP (JANUARY 2016).

RETREET staff and volunteers began to arrive in Austin from as far away as Los Angeles, CA, Denver, CO, and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, on Wednesday, March 22nd. Together, they accepted trees and planting supplies from our partner The Home Depot Foundation, who granted $15,000 in support of our project, readied enclosures for each tree, and delivered all materials to home sites alongside staff from Myers Concrete Construction. Our volunteers even had time to grab a beer at the weekly Tree Hugger Happy Hour at Contigo in Austin.

BRAD HAMEL FROM TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE VISITS WITH A RESIDENT TO MARK PROPER PLANTING LOCATIONS.

Friday evening, the full complement of RETREETers gathered in Wimberley for dinner at The Leaning Pear. It was a wonderful welcome to this lovely Texas town. The next morning, the number of volunteers swelled to 110, including 55 members of Team Depot representing 12 stores, employees of H-E-B, Boy Scouts with Troop 127, Knights of Columbus, and students from Katherine Anne Porter School. After a planting demonstration given by Texas A&M Forest Service and a large group planting along the banks of the Blanco, 10 small groups formed and headed out to plant 201 trees at 50 home sites all across Wimberley.

VOLUNTEERS PLANT ALONG THE BANKS OF THE BLANCO RIVER.

Once all of the trees were in the group, the volunteers joined our partners and residents of Wimberley for an incredible feast prepared by La Cucina di Afrodita. Dinner was served in four courses and featured a dozen dishes, with a delicious selection of beer donated by Karbach Brewing Company.

CHEFS LAURA AND JUSTIN SPENT 3 FULL DAYS MAKING OUR COMMUNITY FEAST.

After dinner, RETREETers retired to Cypress Creek Cottages for a relaxing soak in their plethora of hot tubs. They enjoyed breakfast together the next morning before taking a bike ride. What an impactful, enjoyable weekend. We can't wait to see everyone again on our next RETREET!

WIMBERLEY RETREET II PLANTING GROUP.

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ROWLETT RETREET
December 8th-11th, 2016

The evening of December 26th, 2015, a massive EF4 tornado struck Rowlett, TX, a city located barely 15 miles from our headquarters. It was 1 of 9 tornadoes that tore through the suburbs of Dallas that night. The path of destruction through Rowlett was 1/2 mile wide and 4 miles long, with 1,145 homes and business damaged, 23 people injured, and 1 life lost.

When news of the disaster reached our community, we immediately knew we would be heavily involved in the recovery process. We held a meeting with our friends Texas Trees Foundation in early 2016 and set about building a powerful cadre of partners to tackle the massive project, one we knew would take years to complete. After perfecting our model over the past 5 years across North America, we were ready to bring its power home to help our neighbors.

THE TORNADO DAMAGE TO ROWLETT, TX, WAS IMMENSE

Keep Rowlett Beautiful and City of Rowlett immediately came on board and began opening doors for us on the ground, connecting us to residents and other sources of local support. The Home Depot Foundation and Team Depot again stepped up, not only giving $16,000 in financial support for the purchase of trees and supplies, but also committing to provide 30 employee volunteers to dig holes with us on planting day. Over the next nine months, Reliant Energy, LUSH Cosmetics, KIND Snacks, EY (Ernst & Young), Richardson Bike Mart, Whole Foods Market, Earth Day Texas, The Great Seed Bomb, Preservation Tree Services, ONCOR, Atmos Energy, United Methodist Disaster Response - North Texas, and Church in the City all joined our coalition.

With so many offers of help, our focus widened to include development of a robust series of programs meant to highlight some of North Texas' best elements. A truly unique week began to take shape. ROWLETT RETREET was in the works.

THE HOME DEPOT CONTINUES TO BE AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER

RETREETers began to arrive in Dallas on Wednesday, December 7th, from as far away as California, New York, and Mexico City. Our good friend Ron Finley, The Gangsta Gardener, also flew in for the week. That day, we visited Bonton Farms, Paul Quinn College, and McCarty & Maathai Community Garden — all urban gardening initiatives that inspire us!

Whole Foods Market - Lakewood also held a 5% Giving Day, during which they donated 5% of the day's net sales in support of our local operations. We set up a promo booth near the entrance and shared our story with every customer who stopped by to check out our shirts and prints. It was an excellent event that generated nearly $5,000 for the cause and added quite a few names to our email list.

5% GIVING DAY AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET - LAKEWOOD

Thursday, the 8th, RETREETers delivered trees and mulch to home sites in Rowlett with the help of Texas Trees Foundation and Preservation Tree Services. Over 230 trees reached their final planting locations that morning, awaiting the attention of skilled volunteers.

Following that distribution, our staff headed back to Dallas to host a screening of "Can You Dig This" at The Texas Theatre. The film, hosted in partnership with Earth Day Texas as part of the TEDxSMU Film Series, showcases Mr. Finley's work to educate and empower residents of South Central LA to plant their own food. Over 200 people attended, and lots of great questions were asked during a Q&A with Mr. Finley following the screening. It was a memorable evening that introduced a lot of new people to our community.

A CROWD GATHERS AT THE TEXAS THEATER FOR OUR SCREENING OF "CAN  YOU DIG THIS" WITH RON FINLEY

The next day, Friday, the 9th, RETREETers went on a bicycle tour of Dallas led by Richardson Bike Mart, who also loaned us extra bicycles from their esteemed fleet. We visited White Rock Lake, The Santa Fe Trail, Deep Ellum, Downtown, and Dealey Plaza. Though it was a bit cold outside, we had a great time rolling around on two wheels.

After dropping off tools and other supplies at Church in the City, our staging location in Rowlett, and stopping at a local resident's home for an interview with ABC news, we made our way over to Mudhen Meat and Greens, a farm-to-table restaurant located in the newly renovated Dallas Farmers Market. There, we held our official welcome dinner. 

ON OUR BICYCLE TOUR OF DALLAS

Planting day arrived! An incredible group of 200 volunteers braved the cold to gather on Saturday morning, the 10th, in Rowlett, ready to transform neighborhoods. The mayor of Rowlett and several city council members addressed the assembled crowd, as did our executive director and the director of operations for Texas Trees Foundation. The excitement was palpable. After posing for a group photo, 15 teams were formed. Each team was given a planting demonstration on the ground of the church, then sent to a list of homes. All told, 245 trees, all 15-gallons in size, were planted at 134 locations in 5 hours.

THE ROWLETT RETREET PLANTING GROUP

Not only did volunteers come out for ROWLETT RETREET en masse, so did the press! Every major news channel ran a full story about our effort. We were honored to receive such coverage. The stories ran all weekend and even spread to other markets around Texas.

ABC

NBC

CBS

Dallas Observer

Saturday night, we held a celebratory dinner at The Urban Cloud, our new live/work compound in Southeast Dallas. Food was prepared by Chef Justin Box of The Cedars Social, who also served us during TREE FEAST last May. Friends and family of RETREETers joined in the fun and festivities lasted well into the evening.

The following morning, we joined The Great Seed Bomb to make and drop 750 seed bombs during a hike through the Lower Chain of Wetlands in The Great Trinity Forest. It was a relaxing way to cap and impactful weekend. Until the next one!

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OKC RETREET II
November 12th+13th, 2016

We began our work in Moore, OK, last year in the response to the devastating EF5 tornado that struck on May 20, 2013. Winds reached up to 210 mph, killing 24 people and injuring 377 others. The aftermath was major international news and our involvement in the recovery was a sure thing, especially given the proximity to our home base in Dallas. Initial contact in Oklahoma was made through Texas A&M Forest Service, with whom we have partnered in Bastrop, Wimberley, and Possum Kingdom Lake, TX. After a year of planning, OKC RETREET took place at the end of Oklahoma Arbor Week in late March 2015, during which 168 trees were planted at 77 home sites with the support of Oklahoma Forestry Services, City of Moore, Arbor Day Foundation, Serve Moore, and The Home Depot Foundation. It was the first step in the transformation of an unfamiliar and barren landscape.

DESTRUCTION FROM THE MAY 2013 TORNADO

At the beginning of this year, the Neighborhood Alliance of Oklahoma contacted us with exciting news: Lions Clubs International had funding available to continue our important work in central Oklahoma and our local partners recommended RETREET for the job. In mid-June, we inked plans for OKC RETREET II - NeighborRoots and began forming our coalition, building upon the previous year's cadre. With this newfound support, we knew OKC RETREET II would be our best event yet.

LIONS CLUB INTERNATIONAL FUNDED OKC RETREET II

Following months of careful planning, RETREET staff arrived in OKC on Monday, November 7th, and set about making final preparations for the planting the following weekend. By that time, OKIE 811 had marked all utility lines at every home and a member of TEAM LOCATE, a coalition of local partners including representatives from Oklahoma Forestry Services and Oklahoma County OSU Cooperative Extension Service, already had visited with each resident and determined the best planting location for every tree.

RETREET STAFF FINALIZING PLANS IN THE NACOK OFFICE

As the weekend drew close, donated supplies began to arrive in support of the project. The Home Depot Foundation delivered mulch, tools, and gloves, Waste Management dropped off a recycling dumpster, KIND Snacks gave boxes of bars, and Richardson Bike Mart loaned bicycles to RETREETers traveling from far and wide. On Thursday, staff from City of Moore delivered the trees, beautiful specimens sourced from Greenstock Nurseries, to homes. The stage was set.

DELIVERING TREES TO HOMES IN SOUTH OKC AND MOORE

RETREETers began planting on Friday, the 11th, in Shawnee, a small community about 40 miles east of OKC. The following day, 78 volunteers representing 7 states gathered in Veterans Memorial Park. There, they were instructed in proper tree planting techniques, after which they practiced planting in the park. Small groups were formed and issued a complement of tools, water, snacks, and lunch. They were then sent to 10 homes sites each. By the end of the day, 215 trees, all 15-gallons in size, had been planted at 175 homes. The planting party celebrated a job well done at Serve Moore Community Renewal Center, where guests were treated to a Persian feast from Chef Daniel Avazpour and the musical stylings of Dirty Little Betty's. A number of locals for whom trees had been planted that day joined the fun.

TEAM DEPOT POSES WITH LOCAL MEMBERS OF LIONS CLUB INTERNATIONAL, OKLAHOMA FORESTRY SERVICES, AND RETREET STAFF

The following day, RETREETers enjoyed a special tour of the grounds of Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum courtesy of Mark Bays from Oklahoma Forestry Services, who had a major hand in both the design of the park and the care of the Survivor Tree. After that, the group geared up for a bicycle ride around Lake Hefner. The perfect finale to an amazing weekend! Check out the PHOTO ALBUM.

RETREETers VISIT THE SURVIVOR TREE

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.115

A rather strange mystery has developed in Midtown Omaha. Who is stabbing trees in public parks with meat-wrapped knives, and why?

STABBING TREES WITH MEAT? (video)

Over the past 25 years, a fascinating transition has taken place in areas of England that were absolutely decimated by mining operations. It's incredible to see what a few million saplings can do given the right amount of time.

FIXING A BROKEN LANDSCAPE (article)

Is your city one of the most bicycle friendly in the US? Click the link below to find out!

THE BEST BIKE CITIES IN NORTH AMERICA (article)

Have you ever wondered what a squirrel sees as it zips through the trees? Well, one inquisitive individual grabbed a GoPro and took it on a canopy tour. This is a really fun video to watch.

A SQUIRREL TAKES US ON A TOUR OF THE TREES (video)