By: Cathy Griffin
It is amazing how God reveals himself to us. We never imagined that working to increase the green spaces in our new home, the West End, would be so life-giving. My husband and I started out looking for a way to give back during COVID when we could not volunteer indoors at church as we had done for the past 30 years. Previously we had helped with mission trips, teaching CCD, running fundraisers for the church, counting the money, managing the prayer chain and many other ministries. Church was a huge part of our family’s life and COVID interrupted that. We really wanted to find a way to give back. During COVID we were so keenly aware of how blessed we were and needed to find a way to thank God for all that we had. We quickly learned that planting trees was not simply adding ‘green’ to our neighborhood, but making a lasting change to our community.
As we partnered with Boston College, Northeastern University, the Boston Parks Department, Speak for the Trees, our pro-bono lawyers and so many others, we were uplifted by the fact that so many people were excited to share their time and talent to help us. Because trees so directly help save the Earth, they have the same positive affect that work at church provides. Every person we engaged for help was thanking us for involving them. Every conversation made all participants leave happier than they started it, just like what we experienced at church. Giving back is central to our faith and yet it is always so amazing how that act returns blessings to you many times over.
As we hit certain milestones, like the Boston College students presenting their research findings to the neighborhood, neighbors began to get excited and wanted to be part of what we were doing. When we received our first grant to plant the first 5 trees along the path, we began to see how much our work was positively impacting our neighborhood. While we were out watering the trees, strangers would stop to thank us as they commuted to and from the hospitals, or walked their dogs or made a trip to the grocery store. We could also see people’s faces light up as they came upon our baby trees. This was so life-giving as so many of those people were nurses and doctors or elderly people out walking alone.
People were astonished that we were just other neighbors wanting to give back to improve the area. And so many began to reach out to us to find out how they could help. Several elderly people offered us money to plant trees in memory of their loved one who had passed. This in itself was such a gift as it allowed them to participate without shoveling or watering, but still feeling the sense of pride that they, too, had made a difference. Several parents with young children began to help us water the trees with their children. This was another gift as it established a connection between the older people and these young families in a shared project. People who had passed each other for years in the elevator or on the sidewalk, now were greeting each other with smiles and beginning to have conversations. One young man in his twenties was watering one of the trees dedicated to a man who had lived his whole life in the West End and his wife in her 80s asked to be introduced to him to thank him. The two would never have had a reason to meet before this and are now friends. Those connections across generations that we had seen for years at church, were now happening outside on the sidewalks. Again, that central teaching of caring for one another and all that God has created was manifesting itself in our work.
At church, we always felt that spiritual connection, that God was part of what we were doing. We did not really expect that from this project, and yet it is in this work that we are feeling God’s presence most keenly. When I was a child a friend told me that Unitarian’s believe God is in the trees. I thought that was crazy, but now I see that each tree is a real gift from God. In researching how to get trees planted in the city we have learned that trees have so many unseen benefits. Trees capture carbon and pollution, they provide shade and block wind tunnels, they capture stormwater, but they do so much more. Trees are known to improve mental health and because of that reduce crime rates. Because of this our new broader goal is to document what it takes to get neighbors involved to plant and care for trees, and share that with every neighborhood in the city. Everyone deserves to have a tree near their home.
One day I was out planting some new seedlings and I could feel a young boy watching me. His father was with him, so I asked if they might want to help me. The little boy just lit up. He was so excited for the chance to care for one of these tiny little trees. He and his father now care for 2 baby trees and several seedlings. There is a great sense of pride in helping a living thing survive and thrive. We want children in every neighborhood to have the chance to experience that sense of pride.
Since starting our work 2 years ago we have planted 19 trees, 36 seedlings and over 200 daffodils and have 19 neighbors watering and many other supporting in various related tasks. As we are out working on our trees people are constantly stopping to thank us. The bigger gift is seeing the neighbors unite around these trees and begin to care for one another, too. There are so many people who are alone for various reasons, and by stepping out to be part of this, they are now connected to so many others with the same mission and are feeling those blessings returned to them exponentially. And others, isolated in their homes, just looking out upon our trees are being lifted up, knowing that someone out there cares enough to make a difference. It is really amazing what a new tree can do for a neighborhood.
We are now connected with the Climate Justice group at St. Cecilia’s, with the Boston Catholic Climate Movement and the Global Catholic Climate Movement. Now that COVID is easing we are able to create that intersection between our work and the Pope’s call to action for individuals to make a difference in climate change. Planting and caring for trees is one way individuals can take up the Pope’s call to help care for the planet.
To learn more about our work, check us out at https://wetreeboston.wixsite.com/we-tree-boston or by emailing us at wetreeboston@gmail.com.
Cathy Griffin is the founder of WE Tree Boston Inc. Raised a Catholic, inspired to make service a huge part of her life by her priest in college. Very active at St Elizabeth’s parish in in Acton where she and Tom, her husband of 32 years raised their family. They are now part of the St Cecilia’s community.