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My first volunteer experience with Trees Atlanta was a tree planting project in Kirkwood back in 2017. I’ve been an experimental gardener most of my life, but didn’t know much about trees. After I read The Overstory by Richard Powers, my perspective changed permanently. Trees are always in the frame of life, especially here in Atlanta.

I took the TreeKeeper course to find new ways to advocate for and protect our urban forest. The experience exceeded my expectations. Each session was eye-opening and instructive. We explored canopy coverage mapping by Georgia Tech, learned about tree diseases and threats from certified arborists, and got an overview of the tree protection ordinance from Judy Yi, Trees Atlanta’s Director of Marketing & Outreach.

I was especially struck by Alfie Vick’s (Georgia Power Environmental Ethics Certificate Program at UGA) presentation on the history of land use in Georgia. Discovering the ecological impact of this land use over time helped me understand part of why our Piedmont forests are in their current condition. That lesson in the TreeKeeper class was what drove me to take Forest Stewardship training classes in 2024 and take on forest restoration projects in Kirkwood.

Each class was different, the speakers were well-prepared, and class materials were high-quality. We had a diverse and fun group in the class and we had time to brainstorm about how we could use what we learned at work and in our personal lives. It was also a good blend of indoor and outdoor activities.

After completing TreeKeeper training, I was excited to apply what I learned at Georgia State University, where I work as the Senior Director for Finance, Risk Management, and Sustainability. With support from GSU leadership, I wrote and secured a $500,000 Trees Across Georgia (TAG) grant for the Clarkston campus with the goal of dramatically increasing native tree canopy.

In partnership with Trees Atlanta’s Planting Director, Alex Beasley, we planted 60 native trees at the Decatur campus in fall 2024 as part of Perimeter College’s 60th Anniversary, each tree representing one year of the college’s legacy. That same collaboration has led to several recompense projects in downtown Atlanta, starting with a major tree replacement effort at Hurt Park in fall 2024.

We’ve also organized Arbor Day events in 2024 and 2025, engaging over 75 student volunteers and planting 44 new native trees. Today, the TAG grant project is nearly complete, with over 350 native trees planted, and Clarkston has officially achieved Tree Campus certification.

“Susan has used her TreeKeeper training to its full potential! Both her professional community and her personal/home community have benefited from her engagement with Trees Atlanta’s programs.”     — Susan Pierce Cunningham, Associate Director of Volunteer Services, Trees Atlanta