We’ve been fascinated by Community Greening for a long time now.
We drive by many of their projects as we traverse Palm Beach County. The trees they plant brighten our landscape.
Community Greening is a Delray Beach based nonprofit that has a simple but profound mission: plant trees, build community.
The organization engages and educates the community about the benefits of those trees and in some food insecure neighborhoods—and we have them— they plant fruit trees that become a source of nutrition for residents.
It’s an elegant model that serves an important need. Most cities in our area suffer from an insufficient tree canopy. The U.S. Forest Service recommends a canopy that covers 30-40 percent of the area, Palm Beach County has about a 20 percent canopy.
The lack of a robust canopy creates “heat islands” that impact the environment. In some cases, temperatures can be 10 degrees higher if the canopy is insufficient.
Enter Community Greening. In its 8-year existence, the nonprofit has planted some 18,000 trees.
But the organization is also about strengthening a community’s roots.
Community Greening is a convener.
Volunteers gather to plant the trees and that’s when the magic happens. People of all ages work together to build a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing community.
The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation is proud to partner with Community Greening. We recently granted the organization $50,000 which will be used to support Community Greening’s nursery operations and to help build a classroom at the nursery that can be used for meetings and education.
Community Greening’s mission speaks to our desire to build community.
We also like that the group collaborates with local organizations such as the EJS Project by giving young leaders an opportunity to volunteer and to learn.
Sometimes it’s the simple acts that make a profound difference.
In a noisy world, we long for clarity.
And sometimes you find that clarity in simple acts of community.
Gathering as neighbors.
Planting trees.
Educating people.
These acts speak to us.
Our communities need conveners and leaders such as Community Greening. We are thrilled to do our part to support this special group.
