The Youth Tree Team (YTT) is learning about urban forestry while making a positive impact in the community.  These teens from the EJS Project (watch their music video) are planting trees for homeowners, taking care of trees at schools and parks, and going on field trips to learn about the environment. They visited Green Cay Nature Center for the first time, toured solid waste disposal and recycling collection at the Solid Waste Authority, and next up is learning about commercial arboriculture at Zimmerman Tree Service.  A recent highlight was a visit from graphic designer and Wynwood artist, Glayson Leroy, to design and paint picnic tables in the Community Grove. Thank you, Nate Faris, for successfully launching CG’s first Youth Tree Team.  We look forward to many more to come.

 

The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties awarded CG a Community Revitalization grant for public greening and increasing the tree canopy in the Heart of Boynton. We'll be planting an urban orchard with fruit tree species requested by residents like our Community Grove in Delray Beach (see below).  We'll also be giving away 400 trees at two tree giveaways at Sara Sims Park (first one 10/5), planting trees at a local school and planting 80 fruit and native trees in residential yards. This grant is going to transform public green spaces, provide fresh fruit, shade playgrounds, increase home values and most importantly, BUILD COMMUNITY. Not to mention all of the ecosystems services for everyone that lives there: $38,000 in reduced stormwater, $132,957 in energy savings, and $172,971 of improved air quality. 

Progress Report: In 2017, thanks to a grant from TD Green Streets, volunteers transformed an old dumping ground into an urban orchard with 75 fruit and native trees. Today people are enjoying the fruits of their labor, picking fruit and using the green space to relax and spend time with friends and family. They've been enjoying the delicious mango cultivars, the juicy guavas, the sugar apples (a neighborhood favorite) and soon they'll avocados will ripen. Thank you to the Greater Alliance Foundation and the Stephenson Pope Babcock Foundation for funding the chickee huts. Keep your eyes open for a new mural on the sound wall! Thank you Cam Brooks Creative for the drone shot. If you haven't visited yet, come to Catherine Strong Park and enjoy the free fruit at the Community Grove.

“We had a lot of fun! Our favorite part was picking the spot to plant our trees. We picked this spot because we wait for the bus there during the school year. Now we will have shade. We can't wait for them to grow!
And Tempe’s favorite part was naming the trees”

Steven and his kids, Austin, Tempe and Logan (with "Little Leaf" the Simpson's Stopper)

We would like to thank the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties and their Community Impact team for partnering with us on Community Revitalization.  We are fortunate that CFPBMC views urban forestry as improvements in economic, physical infrastructure, health and social conditions for distressed neighborhoods. Together we can enhance communities by making them safe, vibrant, clean and green!