As we honor Black History Month, let's explore the connection between African Americans and trees in the United States.

Historically, trees have witnessed the beauty and challenges faced by the African American community. From the towering strength of oak trees, symbolic of resilience, to the shade of historic trees under which revolutionary conversations took place before and during the Civil Rights Movement, these living witnesses bear the stories of a resilient people.

Yet, we acknowledge the darker side — the history of lynching trees, where unspeakable atrocities occurred. Trees have historically symbolized death, despair, and the dehumanization of the black body. Historical literature and imagery serve as a reminder of this truth. Today, as we reflect on this complex relationship, let us strive to plant seeds of change and growth.

On Saturday, February 17 come walk, breathe deep and sing with H.E.R.O. (Healing, Empathy, Redemption, Oasis) at the beautiful Boston Nature Center in Mattapan. We gather at 11am inside the Boston Nature Center for a short introduction and grounding before heading out for our approx. 45 min walk. When back at the center we'll have a lovely time with singing, snacks and togetherness before we say goodbye at 1pm and go about with the rest of the weekend. We're much looking forward to seeing you there!

Arthur Stanley, or Artie, is currently a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire majoring in marketing. Originally from Salisbury, MA, Artie enrolled in the Semester in the City program at the College for Social Innovation and will be spending the spring term year with us. He has a passion for the outdoors, as he grew up doing a lot of hiking, fishing, and camping in northern New Hampshire. He aspires to be an entrepreneur one day, incorporating sustainable practices and a green way of life into his operations. In his free time, he can be found playing guitar, skateboarding around Boston with his friends, and trying to find cheap tickets for concerts and sports events around the Boston area.

Diana Huber is from New York City and an undergraduate at Wheaton College in Norton, MA, majoring in English and visual art. Living in a city, she has seen the effects of pollution and how different communities face different environmental challenges. This experience led to her interest in becoming more sustainable individually and in enlightening others. This semester, Diana joined the College for Social Innovation to use her love for working with students to grow their knowledge of environmental injustices. She hopes to increase awareness of urban spaces that need environmental attention and provide experiences that reduce tree inequities. In her free time, she likes to go to new cafes, take walks, share stories, and bake. 

Speak for the Trees is hiring for a full-time Community Tree Specialist. This is an exciting opportunity to lead the organization’s work related to tree siting, planting, and care. Responsibilities include scoping and selecting sites at the parcel level for tree planting, determining the best tree species for each site, and developing programs to support training of staff and volunteers on best practices regarding tree planting and care.

The ideal candidate will have a love for nature and trees, a commitment to issues of environmental justice, a knowledge of tree care, tree planting, and tree species (especially of the Northeast), and dedication to working collaboratively.

Speak for the Trees is currently preparing for the upcoming Summer Teen Urban Tree Corps program and is excited to announce that our Team Leader application is live! Team Leaders are young adults, ages 19-24, who supervise youth participants in caring for Boston's tree canopy by engaging in tree identification, climbing, plantings, watering, and more. This is a temporary paid position of $20/hr for 30 hours a week. Team Leaders will work 9 weeks from mid-June to mid-August, exact dates TBD. To apply, please send your resume and a cover letter, along with 3 professional references, to Education Coordinator Joshua Reed, at [email protected] and Teen Urban Tree Corps Program Coordinator Jamila dePeiza-Kern, at [email protected]. 

Boston Urban Forest Friends is a coalition of organizations, community groups, and individuals focused on increasing partnerships and collaboration around growing Boston’s urban canopy. Monthly meetings are held online and are open to the public.

Our next meeting is tomorrow, Friday, February 9, 2024, from 11am-12pm. It will feature special guests Kat Eshel, Chief of Staff for the Mayor's Office of Environment, Energy, and Open Space, and Todd Mistor, Director of Urban Forestry. They will discuss Boston’s new tree ordinance. You can register here. We look forward to seeing you!

Are you jetting off to find warmer weather? Or perhaps you are going west for better snow. You can support Speak for the Trees by donating when you fly. Speak for the Trees has partnered with Jet-Set Offset. You can sign up today from our website; for every mile you fly, you agree to donate one cent to our organization, helping offset the carbon of your flight.