We want to highlight one of TreePeople’s all-star youth leaders: Emily, an 11th-grade student from Clark Media Magnet who was recently awarded a Gold Scout Award. Emily contacted TreePeople for the first time in late June 2018 wanting to enroll in TreePeople’s Summer Tree Care Program and, after a phone meeting, we realized that Emily’s true goal was to spread awareness about the importance of tree care in urban environments!
Since then, Emily has attended and completed a TreePeople Volunteer Supervisor Training through our Forestry Department. She has also led power point presentations aligned with campus tree care events at eight schools that have produced the outcome of 181 trees being cared for!
Emily also developed a tree care script and recorded a video that reviews all steps involved and highlights the importance of each step associated with tree care. The idea of this video is that it can act as a “students to student” resource for other youth leading tree care events in their communities.
Emily has taken initiative in leading two tabling events during fall-themed Harvest Festivals that supported TreePeople
Below, you will find information about the schools Emily supported and quotes from Emily describing what she learned from her experience with TreePeople.
Glenoaks Elementary School: Tree Care Presentation
Glenoaks Canyon Neighborhood: Tree Care Workshop- 75 trees cared for
Valley View Elementary School: Tree Care Presentation/Demo- 3 trees cared for during demos
La Canada Elementary School: Tree Care Presentation/Workshop- 22 trees cared for
Paradise Canyon Elementary School: Tree Care Presentation/Workshop- 24 trees cared for
Palm Crest Elementary School: Tree Care Presentation/Workshop- 31 trees cared for
Family Fun and Fit Fair: Tree Care Booth- 1 tree care for (ex. of a properly cared for tree)
Harvest Festival at Environmental Charter Middle School, Inglewood: Tree Care Booth/Workshop- 25 trees cared for
“I learned that it takes longer than I think it will to take to get something done sometimes. I thought the video would only take 10 to 15 hours, but it ended up taking a bit over 20. I also learned a lot about working with others, especially working to coordinate schedules and making sure to communicate well. By planning more carefully I could have some avoided mistakes. I also need to continue to improve my time management skills, to find more balance between my school work and extracurricular activities.”