MassReLeaf Ministry: Planting Trees

For Human Justice and Survival

The MassReLeaf Ministry responds to the “Creation Story” found in theFirst Book of Moses, better known to most of us as the Book of Genesis. This story reflects a part of Christian theology that has been essentially forgotten in our contemporary world. As you may recall in this story, God gave some very precious gifts to us:

• A unique and completely nourishing natural environment to sustain all life as we know it.

• The gift of intelligent human life.
• The gift of all of the creatures  

  and vegetation on earth to use as resources for our own survival.

• The responsibility and ability to nurture all of these precious gifts for the survival of all humankind.

MassReLeaf Ministry Inauguration in Worcester in 2004

The MassReLeaf Ministry is focused on the last two of these gifts - our responsibility and ability to nurture all of the creatures and vegetation on earth for the survival of humankind. It is a ministry implemented through a partnership between the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ and the MassachusettsDepartment of Conservation and Recreation www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/forestry/urban/ to help minister to the physical and mental health, emotional stability and community spirit of people living in deforested urban and blighted areas across the state of Massachusetts.

This ministry offers religious organizations, working in coordination with their respective municipalities, unique opportunities to lead real, hands-on tree-planting projects to improve the quality of our shared environment and to enhance the lives of thousands of citizens living in population centers across Massachusetts. This ministry brings the idea of human environmental justice into the neighborhoods and lives of those most in need

in our state.

First Congregational Church in Somerville Pilot Project

To help accomplish this, the MassReLeaf Ministry provides money to pay for trees needed to conduct tree-planting projects, and this money is only available to religious organizations. This money comes from a trust fund established with contributions from the Mass. Conference of the UCC, the Massachusetts Department of

Conservation and Recreation and the United States Forest Service. So, to conduct a MassReLeaf Ministry project will cost your religious organization nothing, other than the desire and effort to plan and conduct human service projects similar to those that have been done with other ministries like Habitat for Humanity, Greater Boston Food Bank, Rosie’s Place and many others.

Also, since most people in religious organizations have never planted large trees, significant project guidance, training and technical support resources are available from the Mass. Conference, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and your local municipality. 

             The Benefits of Healthy Urban and Community Forests   

The environmental benefits of healthy urban and community forests are many, but some of them are summarized below for your benefit:

Our urban and community forests provide:

First Congregational Church in Billerica Project

• noise reduction (50%)
• cooling shade (winter/summer cyclical effects)
• visual screening (basic human need for privacy)
• enhanced property values (25 to 30%)
• economic growth (attractive to patrons)
• community pride (a sense of community spirit and involvement)
• reduction of crime (28 to 30% less)
• more rapid recovery from illnesses (2 ½ times faster)

Our urban and community forests reduce levels of pollutants such as solid particles, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and others that seriously impact human physical, mental and emotional health negatively.

• Each urban tree absorbs an average of 15 times the pollution of pristine forest trees. (Population centers are where the pollution is concentrated.)

• Each urban tree absorbs an average of almost 1,000 pounds of the above toxic gases per year.

• Each urban tree absorbs an average of about 5 pounds of minute solid particles that cause severe asthma, emphysema and lung cancer in humans. Penetrate sacs of the lungs)

Our urban and community forests:

• reduce heating and cooling needs for residential buildings thereby reducing costs

• First Congregational Church in Fall River Project

  reduce the “urban heat island effect" (localized heating due to the preponderance of black topped surfaces) to provide a more human-friendly living environment

• reduce rainfall runoff and erosion, thereby improving water quality and quicker re-charge of local aquifers

• function as habitat for wildlife to enrich human enjoyment of these creatures
• contribute to the reduction of global warming for the long term security of the Earth

So you can see that there are enormous human benefits to maintaining healthy urban and community forests in our population centers.

       MassReLeaf Ministry Activities to Date

To date, the MassReLeaf Ministry has facilitated 21 tree-planting projects led by local religious organizations in communities across Massachusetts. 26 local religious organizations participated in these projects (along with their local municipal counterparts and other community organizations) and planted 504 trees (200 to 350 pounds each). Local religious organizations that led the planning and execution of these 21 projects are:

The First Congregational Church in Somerville

The First Congregational Church in Billerica

The First Congregational Church of Fall River

The First Congregational Church in Gardner

The Fall Greater Fall River Council of Churches (several projects/several local churches each)

Ecclesia Ministries of Boston

The Quincy Point Congregational Church

The Old First Church in Springfield (several projects)

The First Baptist Church in Worcester

The East congregational Church in Milton

The Wilbraham United Church

The South Church of Andover

The First United Methodist Church in Westfield

The Fourth Presbyterian Church in Roxbury

The Andover-Newton Theological School in Newton (with several local churches)

Activities are currently underway in preparation for Spring and Fall 2008 projects, and at least six more projects are expected to be completed during these two upcoming tree planting seasons.

                How You Can Participate

If you would like to learn more about this exciting new ministry for your religious organization, please contact one of the following:

MassReLeaf Ministry Director - Neal Seaborn (781-237-2152) or eseaborn@comcast.net

MACUCC - Reverend Peter Wells (413-589-7034) or peter.wells@verizon.net   

DCR - Eric Seaborn (617-626-1468) or eric.seaborn@state.ma.us

If your religious organization would be interested in leading a MassReLeaf Ministry tree-planting project, the MassReLeaf Ministry support funding process has been simplified:

1) Grant application guidelines and forms have been simplified to make it easier for local religious organizations to complete them. These guidelines and forms can be downloaded by clicking on the following link: MassReLeaf Ministry Grant Application Guidelines and Forms.

2) Application due dates have been extended to provide more time for local religious organizations and their municipal colleagues to prepare collaborative applications. Applications for Spring 2008 projects are due no later than February 29 and applications for Fall 2008 projects are due no later than September 12.

3) The time needed for reimbursement of approved local religious organization expenses has been shortened.

If your local religious organization cannot lead a MassReLeaf Ministry project at this time, it would be truly appreciated if you or your organization would make a small donation to the MassReLeaf Ministry to help fund tree-planting projects led by other local religious organizations across the state. Your gift would make an enormous difference in our ability to fund local religious organization tree-planting projects. To donate, please make your check out to the MassReLeaf Ministry and send it to:

MassReLeaf Ministry

Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ

One Badger Road

Framingham, MA 01702

Attn: Karen Jones

Quincy Point Congregational Church Project	Ecclesia Ministries Boston Project	Old First Church in Springfield Project