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Growing & Loving a Joy to Earth Tree
Welcome 2024 Community Supported Forester
Thank you for fostering a Joy to the Earth Tree - Tips and Tools for your Holiday!
We are so excited you are fostering a Joy to Earth Tree this holiday! We love these trees so much and hope they bring you joy this season too.
We would love for you to share any stories, photos, or questions with us at elizabeth@joytoearthtrees.com. We will respond within 24 hours.
Tips to keep your foster tree happy this holiday:
Love:
Thanks so much for fostering a tree and Georgia’s future forest. We work year around to care for this tree, and we are so excited it gets to spend this holiday with you!
Download this free care calendar - mark each day you gave your tree love, or add any fun holiday memories to calendar.
Light:
Place your joy to earth tree in a spot that can access natural sunlight daily.
Temperature:
It’s cold out! If your tree is outside (and it is below 32 this week) please cover it at night, by wrapping it in the burlap provided.
If your tree is inside, keep 6’ from fireplaces or heating vents to keep healthy.
Water:
Check if your tree is thirsty each day by putting water wand in soil (Please do not leave wand in, take out each day to check)
If water is needed, add 1-2 cups till needle on wand moves to “moist”.
If your tree is inside, experiment with adding 1-2 cups of ice.
With joy and respect, Farmer Elizabeth
elizabeth@joytoearthtrees.com, 843-901-3635
The stories these trees could tell…
Once planted, we like to imagine that our trees could have some GREAT stories to share with their Georgia Forest Family.
On a recent rainy spring day, “CJ Christmas Tree” and Farmer Elizabeth participated in CJ Hicks Career Day. Students welcomed “CJ Christmas Tree” into several of their brightly colored classrooms. The students could barely contain themselves as they waited for their turn to share with CJ Christmas Tree JUST how much they enjoyed planting strawberries with Ms. Davis; and that ACTUALLY they loved a tree in their yard.
It remains unclear JUST how much of the stories CJ Christmas tree understood, however, we believe CJ Christmas tree could “feel the love”.
ALL the Joy to the Earth Trees felt loved during Love is Love Cooperative Farm’s Spring Plant Sale. It was a beautiful spring day with lots of good music, food, and people excited to grow.
Community Supported Foresters visited their foster trees & sprinkled wildflower seeds. We see the beneficial insects these flowers attract . These help us keep the pest in-check & trees healthy and happy as they put out new growth this spring.
We hope you enjoy spring stories from the field. Thank you for supporting a new farm, fostering a Christmas tree, and Georgia’s future forest!
Elizabeth, Neil, Sejal, Sachin, and Magnolia
P.S - Save some of the spring wildflowers you grow… more coming soon!
SPRING AHEAD
Neil and the kids visited me at the Fernbank Forest, where I work as Ranger Beak (vs. Farmer Beak). They saw the owl “who” recently returned to the hemlock tree for spring, frogs awakening from hibernation, wildflowers, and more. Everything in our Atlanta forest seems to be springing ahead, fueled by that basic instinct of hope we share.
We feel it on the farm too. I understand the heat, pests, and long hours in the field will come . However, in spring, we dare anyone to plant a baby Christmas tree and not feel hope!
Your Invite:
Love is Love Cooperative Farm leases us a field to incubate Joy to the Earth Tree Farm. April 6th is the Love is Love Spring Plant Sale. There will be many baby garden plants, food, workshops, music, and more… Including our Community Supported Forester “Meet & Greet in the Grove.” Pilot CSFs & our “Grove of Mentors/Partners” can meet each other & see the trees/farm we’ve launched together.
Click below to learn more:
MEET A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED FORESTER (MEI) & THEIR FOSTER TREE (OSWALD)
Meet Mei and Oswald
Community Supported Forester: Mei
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
Currently I am a part-time student at GSU studying Biology and Anthropology. I also work as a forest ranger in Fernbank Forest at the Fernbank Museum. I also am an operations assistant for Ecologic.
Can you share more about the work you do with EcoLogic?
We do regenerative land management. We hand remove non-native invasive plant species and we replace them with native plants to support the local ecosystem, flora, and fauna wherever we work. Typically residential, privately owned land. We have a contract with Fernbank Forest. We have another one with an Avondale Estates neighborhood.
For those who have never been to the Fernbank Forest can you share a little bit about it?
It is 75 acres in total. 65 acres is an old growth forest. I help manage the forest and the land. We remove invasives, help with educational programs, and just help make sure the forest is in good shape.( Maintain the trails etc.)
What is one thing you love about the work you do?
I love that it feels like I am actually making a difference. Climate change is a very pressing issue on my mind. Working in these fields that are focused on conservation and native landscapes, it really makes me feel good and sleep well at night knowing I actively am doing things to try to mitigate the effects of climate change and the amount of invasive species in the SE. I am doing active work to kind of remove those issues that makes me feel very good about the future.
Who was your foster tree?
My foster tree is Oswald. He was a chick tree, so I am excited to see his growth in the next year!
Joy to the Earth Tree Farm offers Mei a unique opportunity to celebrate their holiday in a way that aligns with what they care about. Thank you Mei for ALL you do & fostering Oswald and GA’s future forest .
Rooted in Community, Sustained with Love.
It all begins with an idea.
A CSF’s tree passing the Christmas tree recycling pile in route to Joy to the Earth Farm. Your lucky tree gets to grow another season!
Thank You Pilot Community Supported Foresters
The 2023 Christmas trees enjoyed their stay in your home. The returned trees look GREAT! (Well done:-) Not every Christmas tree in Atlanta was so lucky… but your tree was!
We are a new farm, learning through this pilot experience. We would love your feedback:
Why did you choose to foster a tree?
Was fostering your tree a good experience?
What could make this experience better?
Options to share: complete this feedback form; or text/ email us a video or photo sharing your experience; or contact us to grab a coffee. Your feedback can help more trees be fostered in Atlanta next year.
A Moment in Atlanta’s Forest: January 2024
Kathy and Mei are pilot Community Supported Foresters and rangers at the Fernbank Forest. Check out the hawk catching an afternoon snack in the Fernbank Forest on Friday! In January there are less leaves on the trees. This is a great time to see birds in Atlanta, the “City in the Forest”. Here is a list of FREE Birds GEORGIA field trips around Atlanta. Download the Merlin Bird ID Ap to discover birds in your own back yard or neighborhood. (January 1st an owl was outside my window in Oakhurst.) Let us know what you find….
With joy,
Elizabeth