A collective effort to improve our environment for people and nature.
TREES MAKING US HAPPY AND HEALTHY
As storm clouds loomed and the temperature dropped into the 50's, an energetic group of hopeful volunteers braved the inclement weather to plant 50 native trees on the campus of Poinciana STEM Elementary School in Boynton Beach. This was another true community effort of families, local leaders, environmentalists, schools and children coming together to improve the place we call home. “The Poinciana STEM Elementary Family is thrilled to be partnering with Community Greening,” said Principal Kathleen DePuma. “By teaching our students at a young age to be environmentally aware, we are building lifelong habits that have the potential to make a dramatic difference in the future of our earth. As a Palm Beach County “Green School of Excellence” Poinciana STEM is focused on integrating experiences such as our community gardens and recycling projects. The Community Greening tree planting event will further enhance our efforts to provide rich learning experiences for our students as we prepare them to be responsible “green” citizens.” Thank you Poinciana Pandas, City of Boynton Beach, Lifted Coffee, DJ SoNyce, Caesar's BBQ, and thank you to the funder Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties!
SOUTHERN FORESTERS UNITE!
Community Greening was honored to be the the featured non-profit representing the State of Florida at the Southern Group of State Foresters Urban Forestry Committee. This was a welcoming and experienced group of professionals from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Co-Founders Mark Cassini and Matt Shipley discussed how Community Greening partners with the Florida Forest Service to promote green infrastructure benefits of tree planting and care initiatives, urban orchards, tree canopy assessments and urban forest management plans. The partnership has been very successful disseminating the many benefits of trees to area municipalities. Thank you to Will Liner, the Florida Forest Service Urban Forestry Program Manager, for your leadership!
FREE TREES FOR THE HEART OF BOYNTON
Did you know that if you live in the Heart of Boynton (map area above) you are eligible for a free fruit or native tree to be planted in your yard? Community Forester, Dondre McCrary, is boots on the ground conducting community outreach, hanging door hangers, and attending neighborhood meetings all to promote the many benefits of trees. Thanks to the Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties, we are planting 80 fruit or native trees to increase the tree canopy where it is needed most. So far we have planted live oaks, gumbo limbos, avocados, starfruit, lychee and guavas. If you or anyone you know lives in the Heart of Boynton and would like to decrease their energy use, cool their yard, clean their air or increase the price of their house, give us a call at 561-927-TREE (8733).
MEET A TREE
"My grandparents and I are HUGE mango fans. Thank you Indira Broch and Community Greening for the newest addition to Cooper City, Manny the Mango Tree!"
- Raffle winner, Chase Gaiefsky, his Grandpa, and “Manny" the Mango Tree
PARTNER APPRECIATION
You gotta love a guy who opens a beer hall in your town and immediately asks how can I give back. That's exactly what John Macatangay did when he opened Hopportunities, South Florida's first self-serve beer bar. Look for the beer with the green tap, and 20% of all profits go to Community Greening. “I support Community Greening because of my children. I believe that Community Greening is doing what our community needs for a healthy and sustainable future for our planet.” In addition, 20% of all artwork on the wall by Nicole Galluccio goes to planting trees in our community. Thank you John and Nicole!
DID YOU KNOW?
Contact with nature not only decreases elementary school children’s stress, but higher amounts of exposure to natural environments indicate lower levels of stress in a child.
At home and at school, trees and green spaces also improve cognitive development, encourage outdoor activity, improve attentiveness, and reduce stress in children.
researchers from the University of Chicago found that, controlling for other factors, adding ten trees to the block you live on has an equivalent effect on your risk of cardio-metabolic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and strokes as a pay increase of $20,000 per year or an age reversal of 1.4 years younger.
Researchers found that tree cover was a reliable predictor of academic performance, both for reading and math. If there were more trees, the better the standardized test scores were.
