News Story
On Thursday, December 16th KJRH did a news story about GreenTree of Tulsa. It aired on the 6 pm newscast. The story helped us get the word out about phonebook recycling. We have been contacted by several people since the story ran to pick up their phonebooks for recycling.
Below is the story:
Three teenagers work to save the planet
Posted: 12/16/2010
TULSA - Born out of a devastating ice storm that destroyed thousands of trees in the Tulsa area, was a project called Green Tree of Tulsa.
"These were the ones we planted last year."
A project created by Connor Cass and two friends.
Teenagers who started planting trees.
The first challenge, Connor says, getting help from environmental groups.
"It was kind of difficult at first because they thought we were just some kids just trying to take on more than we could do."
Tree by tree, though, they proved themselves, and in the last two years, Connor says they've planted a couple thousand trees.
"But once we got some accomplishments, we could say we've planted 2,000 in Tulsa, it carried some weight and they started believing in us more."
Connor, David Graybill, and Austin Edwards say they eventually got a big grant from Up With Trees, and their project Green Tree of Tulsa, has grown from there.
And now, they're branching out to another cause.
"It's a great addition to what we've been doing, it went hand in hand with the trees and everything."
They're raising awareness, and arranging the pickup and recycling of phone books.
"A lot of trees are cut down making phone books that people really use today because of technology you can just look up someone's number on the internet."
Becca Parker has arranged to have her phonebooks picked up by Green Tree of Tulsa.
It's awesome, she says, that three young kids are behind it.
"I think it's kind of refreshing."
It's tough at times, the boys say, to juggle their time between school and sports at Holland Hall, and then arranging with adults to get help with those phone books and trees.
But this trio of teens says they're up to the challenge of making a difference.
"It helps save the planet," the teens say.
Tree by tree, phone book by phone book.
To get more information, go to the teens' website,www.greentreeoftulsa.blogspot.com.
Copyright 2010 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
