Tree Whiz Funding Progress
0
$100,000
We plant another Florida-friendly landscape project!
There will now be shade and beauty for children to enjoy as they play!
On a sunny Saturday morning, we teamed up with other volunteers to install Florida elm trees, butterfly-attracting plants, and other Florida-friendly shrubs and plants around the playground area at the Children First child-care facility at North Port High School. People for Trees donated all of the plants, materials, and supplies including two hoses and a wind-up hose carrier. This makes our THIRD Children First landscaping project since we did the same for the North Port and Venice facilities!
Cody Huntley, our Youth Board Member, honored!
Cody Huntley receives his Youth of the Year Award from Alice White, chair of People for Trees
Cody Huntley who has been on our Board of Directors for the past three years, was chosen to receive the Youth of the Year award at the Community Youth Development Ceremony held at the Sarasota Yacht Club. We nominated Cody because of his unrelenting commitment and the sense of responsibility he continually showed in fulfilling the mission of People for Trees. Cody is graduating from North Port High School June 1 and although we will miss him tree-mendously, we know great things lie ahead for him.
Our Annual Tour de North Port was GREAT!
The third Annual Tour de North Port bicycle ride was held in October.
Our now annual bicycle ride fundraiser held in October, the Tour de North Port, was a success. Close to 250 riders took to the streets of North Port to follow either a 15,35,65, and this year,even a 100-mile route! Proceeds from this event are earmarked for "Tree Wiz", our vision to create a unique, hands-on environmental discovery center. Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped and to our wonderful sponsors.
Butterfly garden at Children First in Venice completed!
A beautiful butterfly garden for the children at Children First, Venice
We installed some Florida-friendly landscaping and a butterfly garden at the Children First facility in Venice on Aug. 18. People for Trees volunteers included Valerie Ollinger, Jennifer Cohen, Linda Massey, and Rhonda DiFranco.
It ain't easy being a tree...
Street trees have it tough...
This poor sweetgum got in the way of a car full of teens during a downpour....The tree was one of the 180 we had planted along N. Salford Blvd. in the summer of 2010 during Phase II of our street tree project.
Our Children First landscape project, one year later!
We added Florida elms to what was a very barren, shadeless area for children!
We had partnered with the North Port Home Depot back in May of 2011 to install Florida-friendly plants, shrubs, and trees in several areas at the Children First facility on Pan Am Blvd. Today, all of those gardens are just thriving! Just beautiful! Check out our Photo Gallery for more photos.
Tree Planting at LaBrea Park, North Port!
Valerie Ollinger really enjoys planting trees and gets some watering help from Hank Chiminello.
On Saturday, June 23, People for Trees coordinated a tree planting project at LaBrea Park in North Port. We donated 10 beautiful native Florida Elm trees that were planted with the help of about 30 volunteers including those who represented the North Port Huskys Football team, the North Port Lions Club, and the Knight Owls Kiwanis. In addition to the elm trees, three large slash pines donated by Charlie of HomeCo. Landscaping were also planted. As is done with all of our tree plantings, we will continue to water and monitor these trees so that they will provide much needed shade and benefits in this park. See our photo gallery for more photos.
Venice High School graduation stage "green-ified" by People for Trees!
Venice High School graduation stage with greenery arrangement designed by People for Trees
The word has gotten out about the fantastic job we do in decorating high school graduation stages!
People for Trees decorate high school graduation stages!
This year we added a skirt for the NPHS graduation stage. Check it out!
For the past ten years, members of People for Trees have been providing the greenery for the North Port High School graduation stage. Well, word got out about what a GREAT job we do and this year we were asked to "greenify" the Venice High School stage as well! Thanks to D&B Nursery for loaning out their beautiful palms and plants.
Girl Scouts Plant trees at Lamarque School!
Girl Scouts planted three Florida elm trees at Lamarque Elementary School.
Girl Scout Troop #241 planted three beautiful Florida Elm trees at Lamarque Elementary School in May. They wanted to do something for the environment as part of the Girl Scout "Go Green" initiative. The trees were planted in the primary playground area and will one day provide some wonderful shade for children.
Our "Red, White,and Blue" garden looks great!
Ashleigh Thompson, Jan Lewicke, Valerie Ollinger, Marty Lewicke, and Cheryl Cook helped to install new plants at our Red, White, and Blue Garden.
Thanks to the help of some wonderful members, some additional plants were added to our patriotic "Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue" garden located near the North Port Library and Veterans Park, Red Pentas and Blue Plumbago. Flags were added to commemorate Memorial Day. Some of you may recall we installed this garden back in 2004 with grant funds received from the Gulf Coast Foundation of Venice.
We celebrated Florida Arbor Day!
Jonathan Albino, a North Port High School Interact Club member, had a good technique for breaking through the tough ground!
On Saturday, January 21, we planted six Florida elm trees at Kirk Park in North Port in honor of Florida's Arbor Day which is the third Friday in January. After breaking through some pretty hard ground, the rest was a piece of cake! Prior to the tree planting, we had our monthly Eco-Kids program which featured...tree-mendous tree activities and games! Every Eco-Kid got to take home a one-gallon sweetgum tree!
The second annual Tour de North Port was GREAT!
Cyclists who stopped at Little Salt Spring were treated to a tour of the site!
Our now annual fundraiser bicycle ride, the Tour de North Port, was a HUGE success! On October 23, over 200 riders took to the streets and sidewalks of North Port, with 32 signing on that morning! We served them breakfast, lunch, provided four fully-stocked rest stops and SAG support from Louie's Bicycle. It's amazing what we accomplished with a small budget and an even smaller group of volunteers. But it was the RIGHT group! Thanks to those who baked delicious goodies for desserts, manned a rest stop, prepared bagels and PB&J sandwiches, put up and took down signs, served as route monitors, and secured a sponsor or two. Members of the PfT BOD especially went that extra mile; Bonita Goldman, Valerie Ollinger, Linda Massey, Matt West, and youth member Cody Huntley. Proceeds will benefit our effort to create our very own "Tree University Eco-Center". Mark your calendars for next year's tour, Sunday,October 21!
Another great beautification project
All decked out for the 4th of July!
We recently received a grant from the Heron Creek Foundation, part of which was to purchase signs and create four areas along N. Salford Blvd. noting our street tree project that was planted in the summers of 2008 and 2009. Check out the photo!
One of our gardens that earned us a Keep Sarasota County Beautiful Award!
A beautiful addition to Lamarque Elementary School thanks to the efforts of many!
The Butterfly Garden/Native Tree Walk we installed at Lamarque Elementary School last year is looking great! We were just there again with a few Daisy Brownies who wanted to do something nice for their community!
People for Trees is recognized by Keep Sarasota County Beautiful!
Alice White accepted the award on behalf of People for Trees, and Valerie Ollinger received the "Volunteer of the Year" award!
We received an award at the Keep Sarasota County Beautiful Volunteer Recognition Awards Program on May 25 in the "Land,Sea, and Air Preservation" category for our efforts in planting hundreds of trees and a number of Florida-friendly gardens throughout North Port. A big thank you to Julie Belia from the City of North Port for nominating us!
People for Trees goes everywhere!
Students who visited the People for Trees booth made tree fact bookmarks.
We recently participated in the day-long Earth Day Celebration held at Vineland Elementary School in Englewood. Classes who visited our table learned about the many benefits of trees, especially since they were able to enjoy the shade of a beautiful tree where they were standing!
People for Trees, out and about in the community!
Oak tree we helped with for the "Girls on the Run" program at Vineland Elementary.
We recently helped to plant a tree at Vineland Elementary School in Englewood for their "Girls on the Run" 12-week program that recently concluded. And less than five days after planting the tree, it was already a home for a bird's nest!
Our 13th Annual Tree Festival was "treemendous"!
Hundreds of trees were sold during our annual tree festival!
This year's Tree Festival was fantastic! We sold hundreds of trees and people were very interested in learning about our native trees during our workshop sessions. Great food was provided by the Knight Owls Kiwanis, special sounds of the "Crystal Singing Bowls" by David Jiminez, and many wonderful vendors. A special thanks to our sponsors: D&B Nursery, Charlotte Bonsai Club, Coastal Wildlife Club, Democratic Club, Pep Johnson, Treemendous Trees,T's Plus, City of North Port, North Port Utilities. Additional support provided by: North Port Home Depot, Walmart, Allamanda Garden Club, ECKANKAR, Greater Charlotte Harbor Sierra Club, Anatoli Kossintsev, D&B Nursery. Trees are still available for sale at 3597 Froude St. for $12 each, or $10 with workshop coupon. Call for an appointment: 426-9752.
Street tree project a GREEN success!
Native elm trees doing very well along N. Salford Blvd., two years after planting!
In the summer of 2008, People for Trees partnered with the City of North Port to plant 120 native elms and sweetgums along N. Salford Blvd. The agreement included having People for Trees responsible for the watering and maintenance of the trees for two years. We are happy to report that to date we have had a 100% survival rate of these trees! All are thriving and providing shade and a sense of community for those fortunate enough to live along this stretch of road.
"I am blessed everyday as I drive down Salford enjoying the trees." Ann Ulmer, teacher at Lamarque Elementary School. In the summer of 2009, another 185 native elms, oaks, sweetgums, and magnolias where added for a total of 305 street trees that are now lining N. Salford Blvd. from Price Blvd. to Sardinia. Go for a drive and check them out!
