Meet Our Team
Monthly Giving
The benefits of recurring gifts — for you, for the planet
A
mong all the giving options available to donors, recurring donations are quickly gaining popularity. They provide consistent, dependable support for your favorite nonprofit organization and enable you to spread your donations throughout the year. To learn more about the reasons some of our donors have chosen this method of giving, we spoke with Jonathan, an Oak Society member and monthly donor from Illinois. Jonathan’s personal philanthropic journey was deeply affected by his six-month sabbatical in 2017 spent volunteering with nonprofits that support low-income families. He had this to share about the experience:
Liz Potter, Development Officer What do you love about your work at the Arbor Day Foundation?
“I came to understand how important philanthropy is to these organizations that support and lift up our communities. So, while I still volunteer my time in my community, I also know that donations to organizations that support causes that are near and dear to my heart are equally as important. At the end of the day, the aim I have for my philanthropy is to bolster all of the great work that organizations like the Arbor Day Foundation currently do … and hopefully allow them to thrive and expand to supporting even more communities.”
What inspires me every day is making meaningful connections with our members. I am a natural relationship builder and extrovert, and I thrive in any environment where I am able to ask questions and meet new people. I am passionate about learning what part of our mission resonates with each individual member and creating a space where they can contribute to furthering our impact. I believe the Arbor Day Foundation’s work is larger than my lifetime and will contribute to a better future for all of us.
Jonathan believes so deeply in his personal impact on the environment that he even conducted a personal carbon footprint assessment in 2020 to better understand and offset his impact.
How did you develop a connection with trees?
My connection with trees began when I was 13 years old. I took a Tree Identification class and compiled my own leaf book of all the native species that reside within Nebraska. (I even used an Arbor Day Foundation Tree Identification Guide to learn what trees I was seeing!) Through this exposure, caring for the environment — specifically trees — became an ingrained facet of who I am. As a nature lover, I feel most at peace and connected when I am able to explore different landscapes, terrains, and habitats.
Jonathan said, “Monthly donations are a great way to consciously recommit to supporting the causes one finds most important on a regularly recurring basis. Practically speaking, it’s also a great way to make sure I can effectively budget for philanthropy, and make sure it doesn’t end up as some line item at the end of the year that doesn’t get prioritized.” To sign up for monthly giving, visit arborday.org/monthlygiving.
My current favorite is the catalpa tree since I live in a historic neighborhood where they are very common and bloom in spring.
Arbor Day Foundation
Replanting the Outback
T
he eastern edge of Queensland, Australia, is known for its stunning views and exotic wildlife — including endangered species such as wallabies, kangaroos, turtles, wombats, and koalas. As beautiful as the region is, deforestation is a significant problem here. Native tree cover is being lost to mining and agriculture. According to the Queensland Statewide Landcover and Trees Study for 2018-2019 (released in December of 2021):
More than 680,000 hectares of woody vegetation were either partially or fully cleared.
82%
32%
of those hectares experienced total tree and woody vegetation removal.
of the clearing happened in Great Barrier Reef catchments.
This has resulted in a variety of problems, including frequent flooding, erosion issues, and severe fragmentation of the forest cover that remains. And unfortunately, that forest fragmentation means the significant loss of critical wildlife habitat for beloved and endangered species. Koalas in particular have faced greater challenges due to continued deforestation. In total, 90,000 hectares of koala habitat were lost in one year. These animals rely on forests for their survival, and this loss of habitat adds additional stress. According to the Australian Koala Foundation, 30% of the total koala population has been lost in the past four years. That is why the Arbor Day Foundation has been working with on-the-ground partners to replant lost forestland in Queensland. Over the past two years, we have helped to reconnect remaining forest fragments and return the land to its native state. Replanting efforts here are doing so much more than boosting koala habitat, however. This work means new jobs, ecosystem resilience, improved water quality leading to the Great Barrier Reef, and better habitat for a wide variety of the country’s rare and wonderful wildlife.
What is your favorite tree?
50135701
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
•
211 N. 12th St.
•
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508
MIAMI
Step-Up After School and Summer Camp Hurricane Irma surged through Miami in the fall of 2017.
The storm damaged countless trees in the city, including at the Step-Up After School and Summer Camp, which serves children ages 6 through 12 at a free or minimal cost. “When we got back to our main office where the afterschool program resides, we had lost a lot of trees and many of the outdoor tables had been destroyed,” said Ana Someillan, the executive director of Adults Mankind, the nonprofit that runs the camp.
This was a particularly difficult loss, as the trees provided vital shade for students learning or playing outside. “With hotter summers and more intensive storms, we find fewer areas where we residents can escape the severe rays of the sun,” Ana said. “After each storm, it takes years for those shaded areas to grow again.”
CLOSING THE GAP
Arbor Day Foundation projects revitalize low-canopy playgrounds, schools
T
rees are an essential part of childhood. They provide
opportunities for play and imagination,
In 2021, more than 100 Arbor Day Foundation trees were planted around the camp.
This large grove of trees will provide relief during the hot summers to come. And it will allow instructors to hold more outdoor classes. Outside funding is also supporting the installation of new picnic tables, portable outdoor desks, raised garden bed improvements, a “Sound Garden,” and a refurbished basketball and sports court. Children who attend the program will help water and look after the trees, teaching them the value of environmental stewardship from an early age.
create comfortable, shaded areas for outdoor activities, and are key
MILWAUKEE
to countless aspects of mental and
Custer Playfield
physical development. But for many children who are living in low-income areas or communities impacted by natural disaster, interactions with trees can be few and far between. It’s up to us to close this gap. And with your support, the Arbor Day Foundation is beginning that process — one tree at a time. At left: A newly planted tree at Custer Playfield in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The tree was one of 39 planted along the recreation area’s walking trail.
2
A r b o r D ay F o u n d at i o n O a k S o c i e t y I n s i g h t s • N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 2
Custer Playfield is located in a low-income, predominantly Black area of Milwaukee. It consistently ranks among the highest need for renovations based on the city’s Equity Prioritization Plan. Prior to last spring, roughly half the park was without tree canopy. With funding from the Arbor Day Foundation, Milwaukee Recreation was able to plant 39 large trees at Custer Playfield, adding canopy around the park’s entire walking trail.
Three volunteers add mulch to the base of a tree at Custer Playfield.
In the short-term, this project will replace the many ash trees removed from the park due to the emerald ash borer. Long-term, it will provide cooling shade and add to the beauty of the site. The trees will complement additional renovations to the playfield, including a new paved play area, playground equipment, basketball courts, lighting, benches, and trash receptacles. “It’s wonderful to see how much positive energy was poured into the planting,” the Milwaukee Recreation department wrote in its report. “These trees are a fantastic icing on the cake in our efforts to restore the park to the wonderful amenity it should be.”
A r b o r D ay F o u n d at i o n O a k S o c i e t y I n s i g h t s • N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 2
3
MIAMI
Step-Up After School and Summer Camp Hurricane Irma surged through Miami in the fall of 2017.
The storm damaged countless trees in the city, including at the Step-Up After School and Summer Camp, which serves children ages 6 through 12 at a free or minimal cost. “When we got back to our main office where the afterschool program resides, we had lost a lot of trees and many of the outdoor tables had been destroyed,” said Ana Someillan, the executive director of Adults Mankind, the nonprofit that runs the camp.
This was a particularly difficult loss, as the trees provided vital shade for students learning or playing outside. “With hotter summers and more intensive storms, we find fewer areas where we residents can escape the severe rays of the sun,” Ana said. “After each storm, it takes years for those shaded areas to grow again.”
CLOSING THE GAP
Arbor Day Foundation projects revitalize low-canopy playgrounds, schools
T
rees are an essential part of childhood. They provide
opportunities for play and imagination,
In 2021, more than 100 Arbor Day Foundation trees were planted around the camp.
This large grove of trees will provide relief during the hot summers to come. And it will allow instructors to hold more outdoor classes. Outside funding is also supporting the installation of new picnic tables, portable outdoor desks, raised garden bed improvements, a “Sound Garden,” and a refurbished basketball and sports court. Children who attend the program will help water and look after the trees, teaching them the value of environmental stewardship from an early age.
create comfortable, shaded areas for outdoor activities, and are key
MILWAUKEE
to countless aspects of mental and
Custer Playfield
physical development. But for many children who are living in low-income areas or communities impacted by natural disaster, interactions with trees can be few and far between. It’s up to us to close this gap. And with your support, the Arbor Day Foundation is beginning that process — one tree at a time. At left: A newly planted tree at Custer Playfield in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The tree was one of 39 planted along the recreation area’s walking trail.
2
A r b o r D ay F o u n d at i o n O a k S o c i e t y I n s i g h t s • N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 2
Custer Playfield is located in a low-income, predominantly Black area of Milwaukee. It consistently ranks among the highest need for renovations based on the city’s Equity Prioritization Plan. Prior to last spring, roughly half the park was without tree canopy. With funding from the Arbor Day Foundation, Milwaukee Recreation was able to plant 39 large trees at Custer Playfield, adding canopy around the park’s entire walking trail.
Three volunteers add mulch to the base of a tree at Custer Playfield.
In the short-term, this project will replace the many ash trees removed from the park due to the emerald ash borer. Long-term, it will provide cooling shade and add to the beauty of the site. The trees will complement additional renovations to the playfield, including a new paved play area, playground equipment, basketball courts, lighting, benches, and trash receptacles. “It’s wonderful to see how much positive energy was poured into the planting,” the Milwaukee Recreation department wrote in its report. “These trees are a fantastic icing on the cake in our efforts to restore the park to the wonderful amenity it should be.”
A r b o r D ay F o u n d at i o n O a k S o c i e t y I n s i g h t s • N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 2
3
Meet Our Team
Monthly Giving
The benefits of recurring gifts — for you, for the planet
A
mong all the giving options available to donors, recurring donations are quickly gaining popularity. They provide consistent, dependable support for your favorite nonprofit organization and enable you to spread your donations throughout the year. To learn more about the reasons some of our donors have chosen this method of giving, we spoke with Jonathan, an Oak Society member and monthly donor from Illinois. Jonathan’s personal philanthropic journey was deeply affected by his six-month sabbatical in 2017 spent volunteering with nonprofits that support low-income families. He had this to share about the experience:
Liz Potter, Development Officer What do you love about your work at the Arbor Day Foundation?
“I came to understand how important philanthropy is to these organizations that support and lift up our communities. So, while I still volunteer my time in my community, I also know that donations to organizations that support causes that are near and dear to my heart are equally as important. At the end of the day, the aim I have for my philanthropy is to bolster all of the great work that organizations like the Arbor Day Foundation currently do … and hopefully allow them to thrive and expand to supporting even more communities.”
What inspires me every day is making meaningful connections with our members. I am a natural relationship builder and extrovert, and I thrive in any environment where I am able to ask questions and meet new people. I am passionate about learning what part of our mission resonates with each individual member and creating a space where they can contribute to furthering our impact. I believe the Arbor Day Foundation’s work is larger than my lifetime and will contribute to a better future for all of us.
Jonathan believes so deeply in his personal impact on the environment that he even conducted a personal carbon footprint assessment in 2020 to better understand and offset his impact.
How did you develop a connection with trees?
My connection with trees began when I was 13 years old. I took a Tree Identification class and compiled my own leaf book of all the native species that reside within Nebraska. (I even used an Arbor Day Foundation Tree Identification Guide to learn what trees I was seeing!) Through this exposure, caring for the environment — specifically trees — became an ingrained facet of who I am. As a nature lover, I feel most at peace and connected when I am able to explore different landscapes, terrains, and habitats.
Jonathan said, “Monthly donations are a great way to consciously recommit to supporting the causes one finds most important on a regularly recurring basis. Practically speaking, it’s also a great way to make sure I can effectively budget for philanthropy, and make sure it doesn’t end up as some line item at the end of the year that doesn’t get prioritized.” To sign up for monthly giving, visit arborday.org/monthlygiving.
My current favorite is the catalpa tree since I live in a historic neighborhood where they are very common and bloom in spring.
Arbor Day Foundation
Replanting the Outback
T
he eastern edge of Queensland, Australia, is known for its stunning views and exotic wildlife — including endangered species such as wallabies, kangaroos, turtles, wombats, and koalas. As beautiful as the region is, deforestation is a significant problem here. Native tree cover is being lost to mining and agriculture. According to the Queensland Statewide Landcover and Trees Study for 2018-2019 (released in December of 2021):
More than 680,000 hectares of woody vegetation were either partially or fully cleared.
82%
32%
of those hectares experienced total tree and woody vegetation removal.
of the clearing happened in Great Barrier Reef catchments.
This has resulted in a variety of problems, including frequent flooding, erosion issues, and severe fragmentation of the forest cover that remains. And unfortunately, that forest fragmentation means the significant loss of critical wildlife habitat for beloved and endangered species. Koalas in particular have faced greater challenges due to continued deforestation. In total, 90,000 hectares of koala habitat were lost in one year. These animals rely on forests for their survival, and this loss of habitat adds additional stress. According to the Australian Koala Foundation, 30% of the total koala population has been lost in the past four years. That is why the Arbor Day Foundation has been working with on-the-ground partners to replant lost forestland in Queensland. Over the past two years, we have helped to reconnect remaining forest fragments and return the land to its native state. Replanting efforts here are doing so much more than boosting koala habitat, however. This work means new jobs, ecosystem resilience, improved water quality leading to the Great Barrier Reef, and better habitat for a wide variety of the country’s rare and wonderful wildlife.
What is your favorite tree?
50135701
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
•
211 N. 12th St.
•
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508