Tampa Bay Reforestation and Environmental Effort

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Tampa Bay Reforestation and Environmental Effort
Membership
60
Websitehttp://www.treeinc.org

Tampa Bay Reforestation and Environmental Effort, Inc. more commonly known as "T.R.E.E. Inc.", was a

Tampa Bay Area. It promoted the practice of volunteers raising and then planting trees along the interstates, roadways, and parks of the greater Tampa Bay Area to beautify and preserve the environment. Over its 40-year existence, T.R.E.E. Inc. planted over 31,181 trees and palms.[1]

Early years 1983–1987

The group was started in order to plant more trees in the Tampa Bay Area. On February 8, 1983, T.R.E.E. Inc. was incorporated under Florida law.

T.R.E.E. Inc.'s modus operandi for the first 22 years of their existence was to purchase bare root tree seedlings, grow them in 1-gallon containers for one growing season, step them up into 3-gallon containers for a second growing season, and then donate or out-plant them before their third growing season.

The different kind of trees that were most commonly used during this period was the genetically improved or superior

Hardwood trees during that time were typically purchased as 4" potted seedlings. Varieties typically used were Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra), and Loblolly Bay (Gordonia lasianthus)
.

Transition years 1988–1989

In January 1988, William Moriaty stepped down as president so that he could relocate to Gainesville, Florida with his wife, the late Karen Cashon, as she would be attending the University of Florida later that year. As a result, an almost entirely new slate of directors served from 1988 to 1989. Vice President Bob Scheible was the only founding member to serve during these two years in the same capacity that he did at the organization's creation.

Major program initiatives, 1990–2004

The genetically improved or superior North Florida Slash Pine began to lose favor to the local indigenous

Pignut Hickory
(Carya glabra).

Due to a major push by members living in Pinellas County, Florida, the organization's name was changed through Florida law on July 24, 1991, from its original title of Tampa Reforestation and Environmental Effort, Inc. to Tampa Bay Reforestation and Environmental Effort, Inc.

On August 9, 1991, T.R.E.E. Inc. was given 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt status from the United States Internal Revenue Service as an Educational organization.

Major programs and milestones 2005–2021

Beginning in 2005, T.R.E.E. Inc. secured its first major sponsor,

San Francisco, California
. Beginning with the Esurance St. Pete Beach Tree-Athalon planting on September 24, 2005, T.R.E.E. Inc. had an additional ten volunteer tree plantings sponsored by Esurance.

The Esurance plantings were a departure from T.R.E.E. Inc.'s previous plantings which were conducted almost solely through the use of 3-gallon material grown at its own nursery. This gave T.R.E.E. Inc. the ability to plant large-sized 30-gallon trees, allowing it to finally conduct plantings with a much higher visual impact. In addition, the Esurance projects led to a gradual phasing out of T.R.E.E. Inc. having to depend so heavily upon its nursery to obtain trees.

In addition to the Esurance plantings, T.R.E.E. Inc. began introducing programs such as the Tulip Poplar Repopulation Program, Orange and Seminole Counties, Florida, where Florida Peninsula Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) grown from the seed of trees native to East Central Florida area had been planted in Orlando, Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, Sanford, and Casselberry, Florida.

Similar programs included the Longleaf Pine Repopulation Program in

Egmont Key State Park in Hillsborough County, Florida
.

In December 2008, T.R.E.E. Inc. received a major contribution from The Home Depot Foundation and assisted the National Football League's Green Program (https://www.nfl.com/causes/nfl-green/) and Florida Forest Service with a Super Bowl Trail of Trees planting initiative in April 2009 after leading plantings at 18 locations throughout the Tampa Bay area from November 2008 to February 2009, with a major emphasis of the Tampa Bay watershed.

In August 2017 TREE, Inc. created a checklist of the "Trees and Palms of the Hillsborough Community College Botanical Gardens" at the college's Plant City campus. The Garden was originally a Teaching Garden for the University of Florida), at 2001 E. Cherry Street in Plant City.

TREE, Inc. also conducted seven projects related to raising public awareness about the Park Road Outfall/East Canal watershed in Plant City, Florida, which are contributors to the Tampa Bay estuary. These projects included providing educational signing in July 2019 for a wetland located at the outer perimeter of the

Future Farmers of America
students from Tomlin Middle School and Plant City High School in Plant City, Florida. Additional plantings along the Park Road Outfall on the campus grounds were also performed in February and December 2022, and December 2023.

On May 18, 2020, a new logo for the organization was adopted and replaced the pine and oak rendition logo that had been used since 1983.

Awards

Received "Award of Greatest Merit in the Partnership Category" in 1991 from the Florida Urban Forestry Conference for its partnering with the Florida Department of Transportation for tree plantings along the Tampa Bay area's interstate highways.

Received two major awards in 2019: "Organization of the Year" from the City of St. Petersburg's Parks and Recreation Department, and "Project of the Year" from the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District.

Received the "Outstanding Environmental Nonprofit Award" from Keep Pinellas Beautiful on December 4, 2020.

Received the "Outstanding Tree Advocacy Award" for 2020 from the Florida Urban Forestry Council on March 3, 2020.[2]

Mission

There were five major components to the organization's Mission:

  • Beautify and reforest the Tampa Bay area through the planting of native trees.
  • Further public awareness about the merits of reforesting public lands.
  • Further public awareness about the planting and preserving of native trees and underutilized trees of special interest.
  • Work in conjunction with, and support of, other organizations with similar purposes.
  • Be a clearinghouse of scientific and educational information to the public on the merits of tree species selection for use in the Tampa Bay area in accordance with the intent of its I.R.S. tax-exempt
    501(c)(3) status.[3]

Accomplishments

T.R.E.E. Inc. had over the past 40 years:

Dissolution

After 40 years of planting trees, educating the public on the value of planting them, highlighting the need for diverse forests, and placing great emphasis on the preservation and enhancement of Florida's natural communities, T.R.E.E. Inc. voted on October 7, 2023 to dissolve the Corporation and merge in to the TakeMAR organization, effective January 1, 2024. T.R.E.E.'s final project occurred on December 11, 2023 at the

Tampa
.

References

  1. ^ "Tree, Inc". Tree, Inc. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  2. ^ "Awards and Honors". Tree, Inc. 2020-01-26. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  3. ^ "Mission Statement". Tree, Inc. 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2023-03-17.