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2021 Tree Champions Announced by Trees Atlanta

Trees Atlanta plants trees, but we really pride ourselves in growing communities and relationships. The success of our work relies on volunteers, community groups, and corporate partners, as much as it depends on the work of our employees and supporters. The 2020-2021 program year marks our 36th year of service to metro Atlanta, and we simply could not do it without extraordinary partnerships and the volunteer service of individuals like the 2021 Tree Champions honored here.

We hope you join us at the 2021 Root Ball, to be broadcast as a virtual celebration, at 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm on Thursday, May 27, 2021 to celebrate these great winners!

To register for free viewing access, please visit treesatlanta.org/rootball .

Corporate Winner awarded by Trees Atlanta 2021 Tree Champion at Root Ball

Corporate: Assurant

Assurant collaborated with Trees Atlanta’s education team on four virtual events during the summer of 2020. Through this challenging year, Assurant continued to support us and actively worked with Trees Atlanta to present education events that showcased the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum on both the Eastside and Westside trails, the Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill, and pollinator plants. This corporate partner continues their commitment to protecting and improving our urban forest and is already planning employee volunteer events for this summer and at Plantlanta in November 2021. Trees Atlanta benefits from the support and guidance of Mr. Jerrell Moore, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Assurant who serves as a member of our Board of Directors. We were honored to be highlighted on Assurant’s global ConnectLive broadcast in early 2020, and we thank Assurant for being one of our top ten corporate sponsors for many years.

Individual Winner Trish Treadwell awarded by Trees Atlanta 2021 Tree Champion at Root Ball

Individual: Trish Treadwell

Trish Treadwell has served on Trees Atlanta’s board since 2013, having chaired the Executive Committee and as Board President since 2018. Throughout her engagement with Trees Atlanta, she has been a tireless cheerleader for our organization and always eager to roll up her sleeves. We see Trish volunteering and working at many planting and community events. As Chair of the Board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion sub-committee, she guided the development of a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to improving diversity efforts for our staff, as well as for the people that we serve. She was a vital resource in guiding us through the challenges of COVID-19. Trish has been instrumental in overseeing our Capital Campaign which will fund the construction of our future headquarters in Oakland City in southwest Atlanta and supplement our tree planting in neighborhoods across metro Atlanta and in the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum.

Neighborhood Winner Westview awarded by Trees Atlanta 2021 Tree Champion at Root Ball

Neighborhood: Westview

Through over twenty years of partnership, Westview has been home to some of the most involved residents and neighborhood in Atlanta. In total, the partnership between Trees Atlanta and neighbors has yielded the planting of 1,606 trees in Westview, with 137 trees planted during the most recent planting season. Their neighbors have volunteered and welcomed other volunteers from across the city in frequent tree care, planting, and education programs, including events in Westview Cemetery which are consistently popular. Westview is an early adopter of Trees Atlanta’s inaugural green infrastructure storm water mitigation projects. Homeowners in this Tree Champion neighborhood are among the first recipients of our rainwater gardens.

Community Partner Winner Freedom Park Conservancy awarded by Trees Atlanta 2021 Tree Champion at Root Ball

Community: Freedom Park Conservancy

Freedom Park Conservancy was the lead partner in this year’s project creating the Flowering Forest, a Tribute to John Lewis. This community partner has worked with Trees Atlanta for decades on invasive plant removal and planted over a thousand trees in the park. Blooming from this strong, long-term partnership with Trees Atlanta, the idea of a living memorial to the late Congressman John Lewis flourished. In February 2020, Freedom Park was the site of a 3-day planting with over 180 volunteers and many honored guests, including family members of John Lewis and city and state elected officials. The planting allowed the city to honor the great civil rights hero, and also fittingly to celebrate Black History month, Georgia Arbor Day, and John Lewis’s 80th birthday over the course of a long weekend. Through the next few years, Freedom Park Conservancy will lead the effort to extend the Flowering Forest in the park following the John Lewis Freedom Parkway with additional hundreds of blooming trees that will burst in color from February to Summer on the route that leads to the Carter Center and the King Center.

Volunteer Winner Mike Snyder awarded by Trees Atlanta 2021 Tree Champion at Root Ball

Volunteer: Mike Snyder

Mike Snyder has been a volunteer with Trees Atlanta for over 18 years and has earned his Green Shirt credentials many times over. In addition to the countless trees his own hands have planted, as a volunteer leader, Mike also organizes and leads projects throughout the city. Many new volunteers might even mistake Mike for staff such is his affability, comfort, and skills at volunteer projects. Mike has always been more than willing to help Trees Atlanta however we have needed him: he’s driven trucks, built tool storage, led groups of volunteers, and is currently serving as the only volunteer architect on our Building Task Force working on the design and construction logistics of our future headquarters. His insights and expertise have been priceless. Mike’s positive attitude and work ethic lift him high among the many phenomenal volunteers who work with us, but it may be his excellent skills as a regular player on Team Trees, the softball league of local nonprofits, that gets equally enthusiastic MVP kudos.

Congratulations to all our Tree Champions! Thank you for all you do!

Thank You to these supporting organizations and individuals!

2021 Root Ball Sponsors