Grow inspiring places

Placemaking capitalizes on a community's assets, inspiration and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people's health, happiness and well-being.

Nature plays a major role in creating such places. At Trees Forever, we see vibrant cities, with every neighborhood landscape thriving and well, and its residents dedicated toward that vision.

Safe, strong neighborhoods, inspired places and a clean, flourishing environment are among the attributes of vibrant communities.

Trees Forever thrives at the intersection of people and nature, and our efforts toward environmental, social and economic prosperity take many forms.

During our 25th Anniversary this year, we have worked with school children, our partners and the public to plant hundreds of trees in Iowa and Illinois; led workshops to address the importance of native plants and declines in vital pollinators including bees; raised awareness about Emerald Ash Borer and other invasive species; awarded grants to three cities in a national program and helped communities recover from devastating storms. Dozens of TreeKeepers - who act as the eyes and ears for neighborhood trees - have been trained, as well.

Our work does more than make us feel good. The research is clear: community environments matter. Trees and green space create healthier human habitat while improving conditions for the natural world.

The U.S. Forest Service notes that trees cool cities and save energy; improve air quality; strengthen quality of place and local economies; reduce stormwater runoff; improve social connections; complement smart growth and create walkable communities.

Those benefits are among the roles that trees and natural areas contribute to placemaking. Why do we love (or not love) where we live and what is our individual and collective role in placemaking?

Trees Forever will spend a day exploring these topics and we invite the community to participate.

Join us on Dec. 4 for the annual Our Woodland Legacy Symposium to discuss 'Placemaking: Love Where you Live.”

Featured keynotes are Dr. Kathy Wolf on 'Green Cities for Health and Delight,” and Dr. Doug Tallamy, on 'Why We Need Life Where We Live.” Wolf is a Research Social Scientist in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. Tallamy, author of 'Bringing Nature Home,” is a professor and chair of the Entomology and Wildlife Ecology Department at the University of Delaware in Newark.

The day will feature local examples of 'placemaking in progress” and help us identify our place in creating communities we love. See our website at: www.treesforever.org for details and come hear the presentations by Tallamy, Wolf and others to further explore the intersection between nature and placemaking.

Trees Forever invites you to join with us at the symposium and participate in planting a better tomorrow. By working together to help nature thrive, nature, in turn, can help people thrive.

' Shannon Ramsay is founding president and CEO of Trees Forever. Comments: (319) 373-0650