THE TREE BANK FOUNDATION

Background

Established in 1987, The Tree Bank Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, celebrated its 21^st year of service in July 2008.  This urban forestry project for public/non profit organization lands is directed by a single staff person and a 13 member volunteer Board of Directors.  Sources of funding include private donations, foundation grants and project management donations. One hundred percent of the Board of Directors and the staff make a financial gift to the organization yearly. Office space, equipment and furniture are donated. Special Projects Contractors are hired through grant funds. Although we serve statewide, most of our projects are in Central Oklahoma.

 

Mission

Our mission is to educate the public and build a stronger sense of community through the promotion, development and management of urban forestry projects with public and private partners. 

Our vision is to change, one tree at a time, the landscape of Oklahoma into one encompassing  thousands of trees for beauty, color, character, community pride, architectural definition, improved air quality and mental and physical well-being.

 

Accomplishments

Since 1987 The Tree Bank Foundation has provided the public/non profit organization lands of Oklahoma with economic and environmental benefits of almost 100,000 trees valued at over 44 million dollars.  The vast majority of these trees were of substantial size, 1-½ inches in trunk diameter or more and 5 feet tall or larger.  In addition, the trees provide half a million dollars of air pollution removal every year. Our trees have a high success rate. Each recipient receives tree planting and maintenance training.  We require a 3-year maintenance agreement. We have also distributed 107,740 seedlings.  With new projects each year, The Tree Bank continues to dramatically impact public/non profit organization lands and the people throughout Oklahoma. 

Tree Bank trees will be found at public buildings, community gateways, neighborhood common areas, non profit agencies, along highways, in public parks and countless schools. Our trees are available at wholesale & discounted prices to individuals and organizations for planting in public places.  Most projects are in Central Oklahoma.

 

Partnerships

From Neighborhood Associations to the Air National Guard to the Girl Scouts, The Tree Bank Foundation has a long history of partnerships with a variety of foundations, organizations and businesses.  Collaborations with Oklahoma State University, OSU-Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the OSU County Extension Service have helped create broader public education about tree planting and maintenance.

 

Projects

Every project is achieved through partnerships and includes an educational component.  Tree planting and maintenance training is provided and is required for each project.  

 

Ice Storm 2007 ReLeaf

Throughout 2007, Oklahoma was visited time and again by Mother Nature.  In 2007 alone we were declared a national disaster state eight times as flood, wind and ice claimed the majestic Oklahoma landscape. Estimates from the ice storm of December 2007 projected conservatively over ten million dollars in tree loss.  Some tree damage cannot be assessed until later, so this projected figure may be much higher. 

A major goal of The Tree Bank Foundation is to respond, through public education, planning and tree distribution, to the ice storm damage to our urban forest.  A partnership with the Apache Foundation supplied 41,000 container grown trees to Oklahoma communities and groups inFall of 2008-9, and 20,000 trees in the Spring 2009.

Centennial Groves

Centennial Groves commemorate the 100^th year of Oklahoma' statehood in 2007.   The project was a joint effort of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission and The Tree Bank Foundation.  Each grove has different partnerships and sponsors.  Twenty groves and two related groves are completed. Tree species are labeled for study and will therefore further the environmental education of Oklahomans.  Through a grant award, the services of professional and registered Foresters were provided to assist with site and species selection, design, proper planting and maintenance, fund raising ideas and dedication planning free of  charge to each project. Click here to see photos of Centennial Groves. 

 

Centennial Witness Tree 

Our Centennial Witness Tree project achieves the identification of trees which are hardy enough to witness Oklahoma’s Statehood in 1907.  It also increases public awareness of trees as an important part of Oklahoma’s heritage and stresses the importance of continued tree planting as a living legacy for future generations. Each Witness Tree is registered on an official list and the owner received a certificate showing the registration. Pictures and stories about the Witness Trees will be complied and published in a commemorative booklet if funding is available.  This project is a joint effort of Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma Centennial Commission.

 

“Leaf It To Me” School Arboretums

Sixty “Leaf It To Me” school arboretums were developed and dedicated to serve Central Oklahoma Schools as outdoor environmental education classrooms.  Students participated in the planning, planting and maintenance of the arboretums.

 

Public Property & Non Profit Organization Landscaping

In an effort to replant in urban communities a large percentage of trees lost in the last 150 years, The Tree Bank Foundation provides trees at wholesale and discounted prices for planting on public and non profit organization lands.   Each project includes tree planting and maintenance education.  

 

NeighborWoods

Predicated on past success in Stillwater and Oklahoma City, The Tree Bank Foundation 
 continues to partner, coordinate and furnish trees, planting supplies and educational materials to “NeighborWoods” projects.  “NeighborWoods” is a program designed to add trees to inner city neighborhoods with inadequate tree “canopy” cover.

 

Tornado ReLeaf

An assessment, planning and tree planting effort in the May 3, 1999 F5 Tornado damaged communities of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area was successfully completed.

 

Hurricane ReLeaf

Through an educational effort we responded to the 2005 hurricane damaged gulf coast states by providing “Trees after the Storm-Storm Damage & Your Tree” guidebooks.

 

Tree Farms

Twenty eight statewide demonstration tree farms were developed.  Most of the farms were at adult correctional facilities.  Trees from these farms were distributed to local communities statewide.

Environmental and Beautification Advocacy

Annually, The Tree Bank Foundation staff and volunteers advocate for tree planting and proper maintenance on public lands, improved municipal landscape ordinances, Tree City U.S.A. status for cities, increased maintenance for existing landscaping and increases in municipal Parks Department budgets.

 

Special Populations Projects

We continue to bring urban forestry projects to special populations such as those we initiated at Youth Services of Oklahoma County, El Reno Youth and Family Services, the Sooner Haven and Ambassador Courts Public Housing Developments in Oklahoma City, Langley Village Senior Housing in Moore, Southern Oklahoma Resource Center, Pauls Valley and 60 “Leaf it to Me” school arboretums in Central Oklahoma. 

Public Education

Our educational materials are available free of charge to the public and are distributed routinely to our tree planting partners during project planning.  Public presentations and displays are staffed by our volunteer Board of Directors and staff.  A newsletter includes varied educational information.  Our website is maintained by Dr. Louis Anella, Oklahoma State University and offers educational information to the public. 

 

Through grant awards, professional and registered Foresters consult to our projects to provide urban forestry advice and education.

 

Due to the recent drought, flood, ice storm and generally erratic weather in Oklahoma, requests for watering schedules and tree maintenance information have greatly increased.  We have increased our effort to make The Tree Bank Foundation’s guidebook “Trees after the Storm-Storm Damage and Your Tree”, proper tree species selection and other educational materials available to Oklahoma communities suffering from storm damage.  We partner with Oklahoma Forestry Service, the Oklahoma Urban & Community Forestry Council, and local news media outlets to distribute these unique educational tools. Through partnership with Edmond Electric and Public Service Company of Oklahoma, “Trees after the Storm-Storm Damage and Your Tree” has been reprinted twice.

 

Some of our public educational program accomplishments are:

• Forestry Internships utilizing Senior Forestry students from Oklahoma State University.  The internships provide experience for future foresters and technical assistance to our projects.
• The development and distribution of unique environmental education materials such as “Trees after the Storm-Storm Damage and Your Tree”; tree planting and maintenance videos; tree planting and maintenance written materials
• Tree planting and maintenance training seminars
• Forestry Technical Consultation
• Demonstration plantings
• Tree City U.S.A. promotion

 

In Memory of/In Honor of tree planting

We accept tax deductible gifts from donors who want to remember a loved one, honor a friend, or celebrate the birth of a child.  The donations are used to subsidize the planting of trees on public property.