GreenTree of Tulsa

More Phonebook Recycling

2011-04-30T10:06:00.001-07:00

New phonebook are being delivered in town once more. To try and keep the old books out of landfills we have restarted our phonebook recycling program. We were out most of last week collecting phonebooks from neighborhoods. The stacks are growing Connor's and Nic's garages and we will soon make a recycling trip.

For more information about where phonebooks can be recycled or to request your neighborhood be added to our collection routes please email us at greentreeoftulsa@gmail.com .

More Plantings

2011-04-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

We just finished planting more trees at Younger's Bend, which is an Oklahoma historical site under development. This site is the home of famous outlaw Belle Star's grave.

We are also in the process of planting at two local schools. These schools include KIPP, a charter school in the TPS district, and Eisenhower.

More Trees!

2011-03-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

In a few hours, I am going to pick up about 100 more trees to plant around the community. We are in the process of finding homes for these trees. We will donate them to various organizations free of charge.

Blog Issues

2011-03-05T08:22:00.002-08:00

Do to some blog issues in the past we had to keep some of the newer posts on a different blog until the issue was solved. So the dates on the posts are not completely accurate. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Environmental Changes

2011-03-05T08:22:00.001-08:00

This article appeared in our local paper the Tulsa World. Progress is occuring in making the world more environmentally aware!

By PHIL MULKINS World Action Line Editor
Published: 1/19/2011 2:25 AM
Last Modified: 1/19/2011 8:22 AM

SAVE A TREE, CHECK ONLINE

AT&T removes white pages from annual phone books

An American icon has slipped beneath the waves of environmental concerns – the phone book.

AT&T Inc. excluded the residential white pages from its 2010-11 Tulsa business/Yellow Pages phone book that landed, without its customary thud, on metro area porches last month.

In officially arriving in Tulsa, the company's Residential White Pages Consumer Choice Program gives consumers a choice – to opt in to requesting a printed copy of the white pages or getting the same information electronically over an AT&T website, said Jimmy Epperson, a spokesman for AT&T's operations in Oklahoma.

"We've launched this in other markets, but it's too soon to tell how many Oklahomans will request printed books," he said. "In other markets only 5 percent of customers have called for them.

"We're doing this because it aligns with our efforts toward environmental sustainability. It uses less paper and ink."

AT&T launched its no-white-pages program in Houston late last year, according to a Nov. 12 story in the Houston Chronicle. The phone company promised that copies would be available free to those who asked for them, and that AT&T would continue providing directory assistance online or by phone. A fee is charged after three free residential and one free business assistance calls per month.

Dallas-based AT&T says it expects no public backlash because when it ceased delivery in Austin, Texas, in 2008 only 2 percent of customers asked for printed copies, and in Atlanta only 1 percent asked.

The company says this is a victory for the environment, as in Houston it removed 728,000 big-city phone books from the solid waste stream.

A Gallup Poll showed just 11 percent of households relied on the books in 2008, down from 25 percent in 2005.

Carol Carter, a spokeswoman for Life Senior Services in Tulsa, said there has been no outcry among agency clients over the disappearance of the residential white pages.

"We didn't get a lot of feedback from them on this," Carter said. "I've talked to some members of our Senior Center and they were pretty noncommittal on it. They didn't seem to be affected much by it. Most of them have the important numbers they call frequently either programmed into their cell phones or written down in their contact books - and they can't read the dinky print in those phone books, anyway."

Another factor is America's growing love affair with cell phones.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a National Health Interview Survey, conducted last January through June, showed the number of American homes with only wireless telephones continues to grow.

More than 26 percent of American homes had only wireless service during the first half of 2010, the survey found, and 16 percent received all or almost all calls on wireless telephones despite having a landline.

The AT&T move is apparently not related to a drop-off in landline use, as a general comparison of the 2009 Tulsa residential pages to the 2010-11 residential pages showed the former has 384 pages and the latter has 389 pages, and rounded totals of 195,000 listings for 2009 and 199,000 for 2010.

Phone books are a burden on landfills, said Michael Patton, executive director of the Metropolitan Environmental Trust.

In 1989, Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. took corporate good citizen responsibility for the phone book mess by funding Project ReDirectory in Tulsa, the first of its kind in the nation. That phone book recycling drive led to Tulsa's current recycling system through the MET.

In 1991, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that telephone companies could not copyright telephone listings, saying "copyrights are for the protection of creativity not data collections."

This gave rise to the "brand-X" yellow pages we all receive - want them or not - three times a year on our porches, creating more recycling duties for the MET.

There is no longer a Project ReDirectory. Instead, all 13 MET recycling sites have phone book-designated bins, and all four books may be dropped off seven days a week, 365 days a year. See tulsaworld.com/MET

Phone books are not cost effective to recycle, Patton said.

They require guillotining to remove their glued spines and are full of ink, but they can still be turned into other paper products.

Another benefit to AT&T's new program is that the books are smaller. The 2009 edition weighs 5 1/2 pounds while the 2010 edition weighs under 3 pounds, Patton said.

Some worry that leaving out the white pages denies many senior citizens access to phone listings, since many older people do not have access to the Internet. However, the Internet World Stats organization estimates that as of June, more than 239 million Americans - 77.3 percent of the population - have Internet access. And many Internet service providers sell limited access - enough to look up phone numbers - for as little as $10 a month.

If not, the Tulsa City-County Library System has 600 personal computers at 25 sites throughout Tulsa County. Anyone with a library card can go to any library for access to Internet-connected computers - from six at the Sperry Branch Library to more than 100 at Hardesty Regional Library in Tulsa.

AT&T White Pages options
Page One of the December 2010-11 Tulsa AT&T phone book reaching front porches in December includes two online offerings and a toll-free number for requesting either a printed version of the Residential White Pages or a CD-ROM.

Greater Tulsa Region Residential White Pages listings are available online at tulsaworld.com/atttulsawhitepages Once on the site, click "Residence." Then - assuming you are looking for "Jamerson" - at left-center click "J" in the alpha listings. In the box that appears on the left click on "Jackson, Shirley - James, Rodney C.& Dana." Use the (+) symbol to enlarge the screen and find Jamerson between Jameison and James.

Order a free printed directory by calling (866) 329-7118. You may also order a free CD-Rom of the Tulsa book at the same number, says Page One.

Metropolitan Environmental Trust recycling locations:
Bixby – 211 N. Cabannis

Broken Arrow – 302 N. Elm Place

Claremore – 810 W. Ramm Road

Collinsville – 306 W. Broadway

Coweta – 12085 S. Oklahoma 51

Glenpool – 144th & Fern

Jenks – 110 N. Elm

Owasso – 499 S. Main St.

Sand Springs – 105 E. Morrow Road

TULSA

North – 3720 E. Admiral Place

Central – 3495 S. Sheridan Road

East – 12466 E. 21st St.

South – 2019 E. 81st St.

West – 502 W. 51st St

Planting Trees at an Oklahoma Historical Site

2011-03-05T08:19:00.001-08:00

We are planting trees at Younger's Bend. This is Belle Starr's homestead and gravesite. Belle Starr was an infamous female outlaw. We will be planting several oak trees and redbud trees. Redbuds are the state tree of Oklahoma. A new trail has been cleared and built to allow access to the gravesite. The trail is marked with signs pointing out the native flora and fauna. The signs are labeled in both English and Cherokee. Our trees will be planted at the cabin site and around the gravesite.

Below is some background on Belle Starr and Younger's Bend. This information was copied from the Younger's Bend Facebook page.

A Violent Death Awaits

by Younger's Bend on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at 1:12pm

The violence that haunted Belle Starr's life started with the Civil War and the death of her beloved older brother, Bud. Her family moved from Bloody Missouri to Texas, but the violence followed. Her younger brother, Edwin Benton, would soon be slain by Texas lawmen. Belle married James (Jim) Reed. Jim had served with Bud in Quantrill's Raiders along with other notables such as the Frank James and Cole Younger. After the war, Jim had remained in contact with Tom Starr and frequently visited Younger's Bend. Among other things, Jim was wanted for robbery of the Austin-San Antonio Stage in Texas and for murder in Arkansas. He was apprehended and killed by a Deputy in Paris, Texas. This left Belle as a young widow with two young children. There are stories that Belle lived with or married Bruce Younger (Uncle of Cole Younger) after Reed's death, but there are no records of this. In 1880, she married Sam Starr ( son of Tom Starr) and her marriage was registered with the Cherokees, this allowed her to live in the Indian Nations legally. She lived with Sam in the cabin at Younger's Bend. A parade of famous outlaws would seek refuge and fresh horses at Younger's Bend. In additon to the more notable, there was also those lesser known such as Sam Spaniard, Jim French, and Felix Griffin. In 1886, Sam Starr was a fugitive and was being pursued by the Cherokee police (Lighthorsemen). He happened to be riding Belle's beloved mare Venus when he was spotted in a corn field. The officers shot the horse to prevent his escape. Sam Starr was wounded but able to run into the woods and escape capture. Belle loved this horse so much that it's likeness would later be chosen for her tombstone. Frank West, a Cherokee police officer, had been involved in the shooting of the horse. He happened to meet with the Starrs at a Christmas Dance near Whitefield. Belle was intent on seeking revenge for the death of her mare and urged Sam to take care of West. A gunfight between Sam Starr and Frank West followed. Each fatally shot the other. After Sam Starr's death numerous other famous outlaws were rumored to continue to keep Belle's company at Younger's Bend. Jack Spaniard and Jim French have both been mentioned in some sources. However, Belle lost her tribal status with the death of her Cherokee husband and efforts were made to have her leave the Cherokee Nation. Belle's status was renewed with her union with Jim July Starr, an adopted son of Tom Starr. She continued to live at Younger's Bend until her death in 1889. Edgar Watson was arrested for her murder and significant circumstantial evidence was presented in court at Fort Smith. Jim July Starr had pressed for the trial but became a wanted man on his own accord and was shot and killed in the Chickasaw Nation. Shortly thereafter the case against Watson was formally dropped. Belle's daughter, Pearl left Younger's Bend and moved to the Red Light District of Fort Smith. Belle's son, Eddie Reed spent some time in jail and then returned to the Cherokee Nation. Judge Isaac Parker (Hanging Judge) thought him to be thoroughly rehabilitated and assisted in getting him a job as a Deputy. He was attempting to make an arrest when he was shot and killed by two shotgun blasts from an ambush. Edgar Watson eventually moved back to Florida despite being wanted for murder there. He would eventually be implicated in three additional murders and was shot and killed by a Sheriff's Posse.

June 1864- Bud Shirley was shot and killed by members of the 3rd Wisconsin Cav
Summer 1867- Edwin Benton Shirley was shot and killed by Texas Rangers
Mar 1874- John Younger was shot and killed by Pinkerton Detectives
August 1874- Jim Reed was shot and killed by Texas Deputy Sheriff John T. Morris
April 1882- Jesse James was shot and killed by Bob Ford
Sept 1886- Venus (mare) was shot and killed by Cherokee policeman Frank West
Dec 1886- Sam Starr was shot and killed by Cherokee policeman Frank West
April 1887- Felix Griffin was shot and killed while stealing a horse
Feb 1889- Belle Starr was shot and killed in ambush by Edgar Watson (?)
August 1889- Jack Spaniard was hung for murder by Judge Isaac Parker
Sept 1889- Bob Younger dies in prison of TB
Jan 1890- Jim July Starr was shot and killed by Deputies In the Chickasaw Nation
Dec 1896- Eddie Reed was shot and killed while acting as a Deputy
Oct 1902- Jim Younger shoots himself
Oct 1910- Edgar Watson was shot and killed by Sheriff's Posse

Jim French moved to New Mexico and was involved in the Lincoln County War with Billy the Kid. Judge Isaac Parker would eventually bring law to the Indian Nations by hanging 89 outlaws. Of the outlaws that frequented Younger's Bend, only Tom Starr, Cole Younger, and Frank James would live long enough to die of natural causes.

GTOT on The News... Again

2011-03-05T08:16:00.001-08:00

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.

More on e-waste recycling

2011-01-13T16:35:00.000-08:00

We blogged earlier about the importance of properly disposing and recylcing of old electronic equipment. Electronic equipment is full of dangerous metals, which can get in our groundwater if dumped in the landfills. Below are places in our area to recycle computers and televisions. Unless otherwise stated these locations are in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
To recycle computers:
* AABC Computers, 3126 E. Pine St. 918-313-5560
* CompuSalvage, 1114 E. Liincoln Ave., Sapulpa, OK 918-521-0244
* Cornerstone Assistance Network, 1120 N. Peoria Ave. 918-583-3670
* Geek Rescue, 8221 E. 61st, Suite B, 918-369-4335

To recycle televisions:
* Envirosolve, 2120 Southwest Blvd., 918-587-9664
* CompuSalvage, 1114 E. Lincoln Ave., Sapulpa, OK, 918-521-0244
*Natural Evolution Inc., 5719 E. 13th St,m 918-836-2995
*Oklahoma Computer Recycling, 4301 E. Pine St., 918-459-8036
Also most area Goodwill locations will accept working computers and televisions.

Ronnie Trash "It's Yours and Mine"

2011-01-05T07:45:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYuJCOJiPg8&feature=related

Electronic Waste

2011-01-05T07:07:00.002-08:00

Did you get a new flat screen TV, computer, or other electronic equipment? Do you know what to do with the old electronic equipment? The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that the U.S. generates more than 2 million tons a year of e-waste. This waste can contain lead, mercury, cadmium and other harmful chemicals. If these toxins get into the environment they can be a risk to human health. The risks include cancer and nervous system damage. 27 states have created recycling programs, landfill bans or both. Check to see if your state has such a program. In states without laws dispose of the equipment responsibly. Some retailers will help you dispose of the equipment properly. If the equipment is still in working order donating it is another option.
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Environmental Books Donated

2010-12-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

Holland Hall Primary School donation

Selling donuts at school as a fundraiser allowed us to cover our expenses, such as renting a truck to pick up our trees. We also purchased books about Polar Bears and donated them to four school libraries. We felt this was a great way to educate lots of kids about the wonderful polar bear and their environmental troubles.
The Polar Bear International website introduced us to a wonderful book Santa Goes Green. It is a cute book about a boy who feels he doesn't need any material things for Christmas so he writes Santa a letter and asks him to help his adopted polar bear Leopold. The book has a great message and wonderful illustrations. The book even has a forward written by Polar Bears International CEO Robert Buchanan. We donated two copies of this book. One copy we donated to the Riverfield Country Day School library in honor of Cub Scout Pack 954 for their help in our environmental efforts. Another copy of Santa Goes Green was donated to the Holland Hall Primary School library

Riverfield library donation

We also donated two copies of The World of the Polar Bear by Norbert Rosing. This is a beautiful book full of stunning photographs and informative text. Copies went to both the Holland Hall Middle School and Upper School libraries. We were told the Middle School library did not have a book in their collection about polar bears. Lions, and tigers, but not bears, oh my!

Holland Hall Middle School donation

Phonebook drop-off

2010-12-23T12:38:00.001-08:00

Today we dropped off 251 phonebooks. These were the phonebooks we picked up from our neighborhood drives. When we arrived at the recycling depot the employees were impressed with the amount of phonebookds we had collected. Phonebooks have not yet been delivered to businesses in our area. We have contacted a few local businesses and are scheduled to pick their old phone books and take them to the recycling station when they arrive. This will result in hundreds more phonebooks.

Phonebook Recycling

2010-12-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Phonebooks can be recycled at any of the 12 Tulsa Area MET recyling centers. For a center near you visit their website at www.metrecycle.com

615 million phonebooks are printed in the U.S. Nationwide only 20% are recycled.

For every 400 phonebooks printed, 17 - 20 trees must be cut down.

PLEASE RECYCLE YOUR PHONEBOOKS!

Real vs fake Christmas Trees and their envirnomental impact

2010-12-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

A study was done by Ellipsos inc., a firm of experts in sustainable development on real vs fake trees. "Results show that a natural tree will generate 3.1 kg of greenhouse gases whereas the artificial tree will produce 8.1 kg per year."

This is a life cycle assessment, meaning it takes into account everything from materials used to produce a fake tree and to harvest a real tree. Many things are included in this data including transportation, fertilizing, and many other variables.

Since you use an artificial tree for many years you would think this would be the wise choice. But studies show you would have to keep an artificial tree over 20 years to actually help the environment. However, on average people only keep an artificial tree for 6 years.

Experts believe artificial trees have a worse impact than cutting down a real tree. Artificial trees are manufactured with metal and PVC, a non-biodegradable, petroleum derived plastic. Artificial trees are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable. They will sit in a landfill for centuries. In addition 85% are imported from China. The fuel used to transport it from China to the US puts carbon into the atmosphere.

Real trees are generally grown at sustainable tree farms. Farmers are constantly planting new trees as they harvest mature trees. If you buy a real tree be sure and "treecycle" instead of disposing it in the landfill where decomposition rates are slow due to lack of oxygen. Trees can be recycled into mulch, used for waterfront erosion prevention and shoreline stabilization, and fish and wildlife habitats.

The BEST option is to buy a live potted tree. After the holidays it can be planted in your yard or local park.

Although creating a tree by reusing bottles is more unique.

Tulsa Kids

2010-12-15T12:26:00.000-08:00

A full page article was written about GreenTree of Tulsa. The article appears in the December issue of Tulsa Kids magazine.

Gathering of phonebooks

2010-12-15T12:25:00.001-08:00

We each sent out flyers to homes in our neighborhood requesting that they put their old/unwanted phonebooks on their porch for us to pick up and then recycle. We got pretty good response. We are trying to get the word out on the importance of recycling phonebooks. Nationally only 20% are recycled.
For every 400 (5 lb.) phonebooks made 17-20 trees must be cut down.
Recycling a 3 lb. phonebook reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 5.9 lbs. of carbon dioxide.
Not printing a phonebook reduces greenhouse gas by more than 3 times the above amount, or 18.1 lbs. of CO2.

GreenTree on TV

2010-12-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

We appeared on Channel 6, a local TV station. It is the third anniversary of a devastating ice storm that took place here in Tulsa. Over 20,000 trees were lost in the ice storm. GreenTree is proud to report that we have been responsible for planting over 2,000 trees (10% of the trees that were lost). Check the link below to see the story.

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=13620378

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do"

2010-12-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

THEY CAME, THEY SAW, THEY RECYCLED

What did the ancient Romans do when they weren’t staging gladiators' fights and throwing Christians to the lions? Being eco-friendly, it turns out. British archaeologists analyzed 1700-year-old samples of Roman glassware from 19 sites in the U.K. and found evidence of widespread recycling. The specimens contained elements used in two very different glass-making processes, leading the scientists to conclude that the Romans mixed and melted pieces from a variety of sources, like modern recyclers do. No word on whether Roman chariots got good mileage.

Source: www.PARADE.com

Take me out to the ballpark

2010-12-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 4th, we planted trees at the Jenks Youth Baseball Park. Connor and Austin are little league umpires during baseball season at this facility. The dirt on the fields is lost due to wind erosion. It is costly to continually bring in loads of dirt. The trees were planted around the perimeter of the 20 fields in hope of cutting down on the erosion. For this particular planting we had two of our friends that wanted to come help plant. They were Nic Christner and Wes Vrooman (not pictured).In total 60 trees will have been planted at this site. If we have trees left over from our other plantings they have requested more be planted at the baseball fields.

Fundraiser

2010-12-15T12:12:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 3rd, we sold donuts at our school to raise money to further our project. It went well. The money will be used to pay for the rental of a truck we had to rent to pick up and deliver our trees. We are going to give books about polar bears to school libraries and day care centers. These books will educate children about the plight of the polar bear. Some of the donuts we sold were in the shape of trees and polar bears.
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Happy Holidays from the Griswolds

2010-12-15T12:09:00.000-08:00

The Electric Power Research Institute looked at how much Clark Griswold from "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" could have saved if he had used LED lights. In his attempt to oudo his neighbors Clark put up 25,000 exterior lights. It is estimated that Griswold's electric bill for the season would have been $2,400 with incandescent bulbs. If he had used LED bulbs he would have spent $50.

If you aren't going all out like the Griswolds it is still worth switching to LED lights.
* A typical Christmas tree using LEDs will use less than a dollar's worth of electricity per season.
* They are easier to work with because more strands can be connected to a single power source.
* LED lights last 10 times longer and use 80% to 90% less electricity.

facts from Tulsa World article 'A Season of Lights' by John Stancavage and Jennifer Palmer

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Submitted by kmaples on Sun, 2010-11-28 11:57.
Christmas Lights!
I love that you were so creative with this post and giving advice for the holidays. Keep it up!!
reply

Green Gifting

2010-12-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

Friday, November 26

The holiday season is here. Today is the biggest shopping day of the year. As you do your holiday shopping this year try to think green.
The following are some green gift ideas:
rechargeable batteries rechargeable batteries are better than in the past
clothing made of natural fibers Natural fibers are renewable and no petroleum products are used as in acrylic fibers.
steel items such as pots and pan. Steel is recyclable. 55% of all steel is recycled.
bicycles not only will it keep more cars of the road it will keep you fit.
houseplants Plants create a relaxing environment. Houseplants improve indoor air quality. They remove toxins from the air.
trees Buy a live Christmas tree and plant it in your yard after the holidays. Not only will it make your yard more beautiful it will help the environment.
Trees are also great to commemorate special events such as:
* the birth of a child
* birthday
* anniversary
* remembrance of a special person
* congratulations for a job well done
* Christmas gift to a family

Sapling Distribution at the Tulsa Zoo

2010-12-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, November 24

Today we passed out saplings at the Tulsa Zoo. We gave out 700 saplings along with informational handouts about the environment, trees, and the plight of the polar bears. People were amazed that high school students like us had created such a great project. We also had pledge sheets available and 103 people pledged to help the environment and the polar bears through several ways including recycling phonebooks, lowering the thermostat in the winter, planting trees, and many more. We also came across a large day-care group and gave an unexpected presentation (the teacher kind of put us on the spot but we did really well and we are glad that we were lucky enough to talk with them). We are so glad we got to involve our zoo in our project and the day couldn't have gone better!

Sapling Pickup

2010-12-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we drove 2 hours down to Goldsby Oklahoma to pick up 700 Loblolly pine saplings. We were able to get these because the Oklahoma Forestry Service generously donated them to aide us in educating people about trees and the environment. We plan to give away these saplings with some handouts about the environment, trees, and the plight of the polar bears. These trees will serve a two-fold purpose; reach and educate people about our project, the environment, and polar bears and to sequester carbon dioxide and help the polar bears way up north.
Where our saplings started from!

Companies Yank Cord on Printed White Pages

2010-12-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Companies yank cord on printed white pages
The following is an article that appeared today in our local paper The Tulsa World. New phone books are scheduled to start being delivered in Tulsa this week. We will begin our phonebook recycling as soon as the new books hit local doorsteps. Companies yank cord on residential phone books Emily Goodmann sits with a stack of phone books at the Northwestern University Library in Evanston, Ill. Goodmann is a doctoral student who is doing her dissertation on the history of the telephone book. CHARLES REX ARBOGAST/Associated Press By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM Associated Press Published: 11/12/2010 2:22 AM Last Modified: 11/12/2010 5:47 AM RICHMOND, Va. - What's black and white and read all over? Not the white pages, which is why regulators have begun granting telecommunications companies the go-ahead to stop mass-printing residential phone books, a musty fixture of Americans' kitchen counters, refrigerator tops and junk drawers. In the past month alone, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania approved Verizon Communications Inc.'s request to quit distributing residential white pages. Residents in Virginia have until Nov. 19 to provide comments on a similar request pending with state regulators. Telephone companies argue that most consumers now check the Internet rather than flip through pages when they want to reach out and touch someone. "Anybody who doesn't have access to some kind of online way to look things up now is probably too old to be able to read the print in the white pages anyway," joked Robert Thompson, a pop-culture professor at Syracuse University. Phone companies note that eliminating residential white pages would reduce environmental impact by using less paper and ink. It also can't hurt their bottom lines to cut out the cost of a service that rarely gets used and generates little beyond nostalgia. The first telephone directory was issued in February 1878 - a single page that covered 50 customers in New Haven, Conn. That sheet grew into a book that became virtually a household appliance, listing numbers for neighbors, friends and colleagues, not to mention countless potential victims of prank calls. Fewer people rely on paper directories for a variety of reasons: More people rely solely on cell phones, whose numbers typically aren't included in the listings; more listings are available online; and mobile phones and caller ID systems on landlines can store a large number of frequently called numbers. The number of traditional landlines has been declining for the better part of the decade, and landlines now are being disconnected at a rate of nearly 10 percent each year, according to company financial reports. A survey conducted for SuperMedia Inc. by Gallup shows that between 2005 and 2008, the percentage of households relying on stand-alone residential white pages fell from 25 percent to 11 percent. Unlike the residential white pages, the business directories printed on yellow pages are doing fine, at least according to the Yellow Pages Association. The industry trade group claims more half the people in the U.S. still let their fingers do the walking every month, and that 550 million residential and business directories are still printed every year. If the white pages are nearing their end, then Emily Goodmann hopes the directories would be archived for historical, genealogical or sociological purposes. "The telephone directory stands as the original sort of information network that not only worked as kind of a social network in a sense, but it served as one of the first information resources," said Goodmann, a doctoral student at Northwestern University who is writing her dissertation on the history of phone books as information technology. "It's sort of heartbreaking ... even though these books are essentially made to be destroyed." Original Print Headline: Companies yank cord on printed white pages By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM Associated Press E-Edition Print Email Comment RSS Bookmark Share

Planting with Cub Scouts

2010-12-15T11:58:00.000-08:00

Today we met with a group of Cub Scouts. We talked with the Pack of around 30 boys about the benefits of trees to our environment and the Polar Bears. They were interested to learn more about Polar Bears. We helped the Webelo den plant trees on their school campus. One of the boys dad had recently passed away. The Webelo den decided to plant a redbud tree in his honor and soon will be constructing a memory garden around this redbud tree.

Trees are Here!

2010-12-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

Today we went to pick up our trees. We rented a truck and went to pick up the trees we received through a grant from the Apache Foundation and Up with Trees. One hundred plus trees went to the Tulsa Housing Authority for planting on their low income housing properties. We brought home 50 trees today which we will begin distributing to various organizations.

The Trees Are on The Way

2010-12-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, November 3rd, 5000 trees will be arriving in Tulsa from a grant by the Apache energy company. We hope to assist in the unloading process and you can expect some fascinating pictures will appear on our blog towards the end of next week. We have spoken with some administrators and on fundraiser idea is now en route to possibly get approved which will allow us to donate environmental and polar bear themed books to local schools and expand our tree operations. We are trying to partner with the Tulsa Zoo in some way to educate more people, but the idea has yet to come to fruition. We are waiting for phonebooks to be delivered so that we can commence our recycling program.

Phonebooks Are Coming!

2010-12-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

This is a short video about the importance of recycling phonebooks. The first phonebook appeared at our door today so our fliers for our phonebook recycling program will be distributed within days. Unfortunately we have to use paper in order to get the word out about our program, but the paper savings will far outweigh the cost. Also we are going to use paper made with recycled paper for our fliers.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE IS NO VIDEO, SO UNTIL WE CAN FIX THE PROBLEM PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO AT THE FOLLOWING LINK. THANKS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_8j5TkQUeY

Our First Big Meeting Of The Year

2010-10-16T21:10:00.002-07:00

Although we have had some small scale meetings already, this was our first big one. We discussed our project and made some decision on what we want to do. Due to new ideas, our project expanded into new and promising areas. We tentatively outlined our project for the next few months and divided jobs and tasks amongst the three of us. David is in charge of speaking with the administration of several schools trying to organize school presentations and fundraisers, Austin is in charge of creating a website and organizing the phonebook recycling program, and Connor is communicating with the tree donors and trying to secure planting locations. We have already spoken with our main tree donor, Up With Trees, and are guaranteed a smaller number of trees but depending on supply and demand we will probably receive more. We have communicated with Tulsa Housing Authority, which is a government housing agency in Tulsa, and they will gladly take as many trees as we can give them. We are awaiting a response to our letter that we sent to Community Action Project, another agency that has some government housing locations, offering some free trees. We plan to speak with Habitat for Humanity and some local schools or churches to see if they would like some free trees for their properties. Be on the look out as we continue to post our progress with communication, education, fundraising, our phonebook recycling program, and of course tree information and plantings. We also plan to post environmental blog posts that relate to our program or simply ways that you can live a more eco-friendly life and help save the polar bears.

Trees are Amazing!

2010-10-16T21:10:00.001-07:00

Trees are pollution fighters, water savers and soil savers. One mature tree each year absorbs 48 lbs. of greenhouse gases, replenishes groundwater by returning stormwater to the soil and supplies enough oxygen for 2 people. So get out and plant a tree! Not only will it beautify your yard, you will be helping our environment. Fall is a great time to plant trees!

Speaking of trees....we are awaiting the arrival of our grant of trees. We will be planting trees around Tulsa soon.

Why Help Polar Bears?

2010-10-16T21:08:00.001-07:00

Polar Bears were added to the endangered species list in 2008. The reason they are becoming endangered is due to climate changes affecting the sea ice upon which they hunt. Arctic ice is freezing later in the fall and melting earlier in the spring. This means Polar Bear's hunting areas are shrinking and their seal hunting season is getting shorter. Each week of less ice equals 20 lbs. less weight on the bears. Polar Bears are starving!

Unless something occurs... in our lifetime there may be no more Polar Bears in the wild. We want to make sure this does not happen! Our goal is to spread the word and provide information on how to help. Keep an eye on our blog for easy ways to help our environment and the Polar Bears.

We are back in buisness

2010-10-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

We have already found donors that are willing to donate 5-6 foot trees and are in the process of finding organizations to plant them at. We are working on the 'blueprint' for our phonebook recycling program and hope to launch it very soon. This program will not only save paper and space in landfills, but also educate people on the environment and what they can do to help it, and in turn help the polar bears.

We Are Back!

2010-09-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

Now that planting season is on its way again, the GTOT team is springing back into action. We have made some changes to our team members though. The GTOT team now consists of Connor Cass, David Graybill, and another person that is to be announced soon. We are hoping to have trees donated by Up With Trees again this year. Not only are we going to plant trees this fall, we plan to implement a local phonebook recycling program.

The Wisdom of Chief Seattle

2010-06-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

Our forefathers realized the importance of being good stewards of the earth. We could all learn from them.

Our GTOT Video

2010-05-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today in History

2010-05-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

May 14, 2008

The polar bear was declared a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act because of the loss of Arctic sea ice. It was the first time that the Endangered Species Act has been used to protect a species threatened by the impacts of climate change.

info gotten from the Tulsa World article written by Gene Curtis

Winning in San Diego!

2010-04-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the GTOT team flew to San Diego for Polar Bear International's Project Polar Bear award ceremony. While there we received behind the scene tours of the San Diego Zoo and Sea World. While there we got to see the polar bears up close and many other cool things. GreenTree of Tulsa won second place overall in Project Polar Bear and got to swim with beluga whales as a prize!

2010-03-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

First Place Arbor Week Poster

ARBOR WEEK

In March of 1982 Oklahoma declared a full week Arbor Week. Arbor Week takes place the last full week in March. This is a great time to plant trees in Oklahoma.

National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April.

Phonebook Recycling

2010-01-19T19:39:00.000-08:00

According to the Yellow Pages Association 615 million phone directories were printed in the U.S. last year. The Yellow Pages Association states that these directories were made with 40% recycled material. Even though recycled materials are used to print the books, for every 400 (5 pound phonebooks) made 17 to 20 trees must be cut down.

This past fall 3 different phonebooks were delivered to our home. No one needs 3 new phonebooks a year. This is a waste of resources! Bill Gates was quoted as stating Yellow Page usage among people below 50 will drop to zero or near zero over the next 5 years. Hes right phonebook usage is declining. People increasingly use the internet to look for numbers and companies rather than looking them up in the phonebook.

Cambridge, Massachusetts has passed a proposal that would allow citizens to opt-out of receiving phonebooks delivered to their door. The following states are also considering this: North Carolina, Minnesota, Maine, New Mexico and New York. We are looking into trying to implement such a plan in our city. Phonebooks are money makers for the companies printing them. The Yellow Book Directory states their revenues at $13.9 billion. They make $22 per copy. This may be a hard sell but well worth a try. If nothing else we are going to facilitate the recycling of these unwanted phonebooks. Research shows that taxpayers and cities end up paying for the unwanted books to be recycled or carted to the landfill.

Portland, Oregon released the following facts regarding the phonebooks distributed to their city. The printing of the books consumed 49,779 trees. The phonebooks if stacked, would be 12 miles high.

Oregon estimates in 2003 that 6.45 million sets of phonebooks were published and distributed. There are only 1.33 million households in the state.

Recycling a 3 pound phonebook prevents 5.9 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. Not printing the book at all prevents 18.1 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Nationally only 20% of phonebooks are recycled. We would like to see that change!

Wind Power at Home

2010-01-12T19:33:00.000-08:00

An Oklahoma power company called AEP-PSO, is helping customers go green. Customers can choose to have their electricity come from wind power instead of coal. For just $2.85/100 kilowatts, Oklahomans can help save the planet. Wind power does not emit carbon dioxide like burning coal does. If everyone switched to renewable energy, it would save millions of pounds of co2 from being released into the environment.

A link to an article about this can be found below:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=49&articleid=20100109_49_E1_AEPPSO398776&archive=yes

Ski Areas Graded for Environmental Efforts

2010-01-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

Over the Holidays I noticed the state of Colorado is also concerned about the environment. The Ski Area Citizens Coalition (SACC) has even devised a grading system that yearly assesses the resorts and gives them a grade based on 35 criteria. The SACC grades 92 ski areas nationwide on their environmental performance in four areas: habitat protection, protecting watersheds, addressing global climate change and environmental practices and policies. Attached is a link to the article Seeing the Forest for the Skis from Inside Outside magazine for a more in depth look.

http://www.insideoutsidemag.com/issues/2010/January/Seeing_the_Forest_for_the_Skis/

The ski area we visit, Wolf Creek, has now converted all of their ski lifts to wind powered lifts. Old lifts were coal or gasoline powered and emitted fumes into the atmosphere. Wind powered lifts are not only clean and air friendly, they are using a free, renewable resource. Way to go!

Wind Turbines installed at State Capitol

2010-01-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

The Tulsa World had an article on January 6, 2010 about the Oklahoma State Capitol installing two wind turbines at the state Capitol complex. The turbines will generate between 12,000

and 14,000 kilowatt hours each year. Oklahoma is one of the top 5 states in terms of harvesting wind power. Governor Brad Henry said "Oklahoma can and should expand its use of alternative energies, whether it is wind power, natural gas, solar or biofuels, and hopefully this project will encourage others to do just that." Way to go Oklahoma!

A link to the article can be found at:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=16&articleid=20100106_16_A18_Pieter548793&archive=yes

Wind Power

2010-01-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

During my trip to Colorado over the holidays I saw a couple instances of wind power in use.

In western Oklahoma we came upon 100's of large wind turbines on a ridge in the prairie. I looked into wind power and the facts are pretty impressive.

Wind spins the large blade, which turns a shaft connected to a generator that produces the electricity. Each turbine generates enough electricity to supply 600 homes with electricity.

Wind energy industry is booming. Worldwide use has more than quadrupled between 2000 and 2006.

Countries that utilize wind power most:

1. Germany

2. Spain

3. United States

4. Denmark

States that have the most wind turbines:

Texas, California, Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma

Wind is plentiful. Wind power is a clean, renewable resource. It produces no air or water pollution.

"Rooting for the Environment"

2009-12-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

A great newspaper article about GreenTree of Tulsa ran in the Tulsa World newspaper today! This is great not only because it is even more exposure, but because it adds an extra 400,000 people to our numbers reached. The below pictures may be hard to read so a link to the article will be posted below both pictures. The article had our blogs URL so that readers could learn more about our efforts to save the environment.

Website format:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20091228_11_A2_Hollan68424&archive=yes

Newspaper format:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/twpdfs/2009/FINAL/W_122809_A_2.PDF

Posts from July-December 25, 2009

2009-12-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

We apologize for the poor organization of the below posts, but this was the only way we could transfer them from an old blog to this new one.

White Christmas!

Dec 25, 2009

This year Tulsa had it's first white Christmas in 7 years. It snowed about 6 inches last night and this morning. Instead of building a snowman, we thought we would build a polar bear in remembrance of the Tulsa Zoo's beloved polar bear Kavek, who passed away May of 2009.

Recognition From Tulsa Housing Authority

Dec 21, 2009

We recently received two documents in which Tulsa Housing Authority praised our accomplishments.

This is the letter that THA wrote about our project involving their housing locations.

This is a page from the 29 page presentation about our tree plantings on their properties. The Tulsa Housing Authority passed the booklet out at their recent Board of Directors meeting.

Meetings Galore!

Dec 21, 2009

Last friday we met for the second time this week. We assigned parts of the final report for each team member to accomplish. It was a very productive meeting and we plan to submit the final report very soon.

Holy Cow!

Dec 16, 2009

IF A COW GIVES YOU MANURE MAKE ELECTRICITY!
Environmental talks continue in Copenhagen. The U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said they have come to an agreement with the American Dairy Industry to reduce greenhouse emissions, that are given off by the manure, 25 percent by 2020. The farmers would capture the methane from cow manure that otherwise would be released into the atmosphere. Farmers would use a anaerobic digester to convert the cow manure into electricity. Agriculture makes up 7 percent of the greenhouse emissions in the United States.

More Press!

Dec 15, 2009

We were mentioned in our school magazine publication twice! This magazine is distributed to all current families and all alumni. It even listed the link to our blog, so we can potentially educate even more people. This publication is mailed to 5,500 households.

Cub Scouts Plant Trees at their School

Dec 15, 2009

On Saturday December 12th, we helped Cub Scouts from Riverfield Country Day School plant trees on their school campus. They planted the trees around their new football field. We explained to them how planting trees here in Tulsa, Oklahoma will help the Polar Bears up North. They were excited to be doing something to help our environment! Unfortunately, the majority of the rest of the pack left for a school basketball game before we had the chance to take a picture.

Climate Talks in Copenhagen

Dec 12, 2009

Climate Talks Move Forward in Copenhagen

Countries from around the world have been meeting this week in Copenhagen trying to come up with a plan to reduce the World's carbon emmissions. A draft has been made. It says all countries together should reduce emisssions by a range of 50 percent to 95 percent by 2050, and rich countries should cut emissions by 25 to 40 percent by 2020, in both cases using 1990 as the baseline year.

It has taken years to get to this point. While this plan is not without fault, it is a step in the right direction. The draft highlighted the broad goals the world must achieve to avoid irreversible change in climate that scientists say could bring many species to extinction and cause upheavals around the globe.

One species that is in danger, is the Polar Bear. Did you know that in our lifetime, without something changing there will be no more Polar Bears in the wild? The ice is their hunting grounds, and it is melting!

Meeting and Planning

Dec 06, 2009

Yesterday we met to discuss our plans through the end of the year. Next Saturday we will be planting trees with a local Cub Scout troop. We will be teaching them of the importance of trees and how planting trees in Tulsa, Oklahoma can help save the polar bears thousands of miles north of here.

We took a look at the requirements for the PBI final report and have begun to work on it.

A newspaper article about GreenTree of Tulsa has been written and will appear in the paper soon!

Ban The Book!

Dec 06, 2009

In the past few days after we received our third new phonebook this fall, we thought of a new project. We are going to try to convince the local phonebook companies to cut down their production of these monster sized books. However, we realize that the three plus companies in town that distribute phonebooks use them as a way to sell advertising and they are a large revenue source. Our plan is to send them a letter asking them to offer a easy recycling program. Our idea is when the phonebooks are delivered to your front door, the deliverer will ring the doorbell and ask the homeowner if they have any old phonebooks they would like to recycle. Then the company will recycle the books they collected. We did a quick survey of friends and family and found many no longer even use their phone books. They find it just as easy to use the internet to find what they are looking for. As you may have seen in an earlier post, recycling phonebooks saves a ton of energy and trees.

Change to energy saving fluorescent bulbs

Dec 01, 2009

If every home replaced one light bulb with an energy saving bulb it would save:

* Enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year.

*$600 million in energy costs

*Greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars

Tulsa Housing Authority Planting

Nov 25, 2009

Today we went and finished planting the last of the 375 trees that we gave to the Tulsa Housing Authority. The trees were planted at several of their sites. It is a proven fact that a view of trees reduces the crime rate in an urban area. This is a great accomplishment not only because these trees will absorb thousands of pounds of co2 in their lifetime, but also because we are beautifying less fortunate parts of our town.

Plant those trees!

Nov 24, 2009

An average tree absorbs 300 lbs. of Co2 a year. Every 6 trees clean enough Co2 to fill up a football stadium each year.

Don't let your car idle!

Nov 23, 2009

5 minutes of idling (leaving your car running while it is parked) results in 220 -440 lbs of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere a year.

Trees improve the economy

Nov 22, 2009

Sales at businesses on tree-lined streets are 12 percent higher. Shoppers are willing to pay 11 percent more for goods on pleasing tree-lined streets,

Tree Planting

Nov 21, 2009

Today we helped plant 27 large trees at Mohawk Park. This is a large city park that lost many trees during a devastating ice storm in December 2007. Tulsa Mayor, Kathy Taylor, spoke at the event. These trees bring our total trees planted to 1,102!

Recycle your phone books!

Nov 21, 2009

For every 500 phonebooks that are recylced it saves:

* 7,000 gallons of water

* 3.3 cubic yards in a landfill

* about 25 trees

* 4,100 kilowatts of electricity (enough to power a home for 6 months)

Tulsa, Oklahoma (our city), was the first city to start a phone book recycling program.

Phone books can be recycled in Tulsa until December 22nd at the following locations:

1502 W. 51st St.

3720A E. Admiral Pl.

12466 E. 21st St.

2019 E. 81st ST.

3945 S. Sheridan Road

Phone books are accepted all year at the MET's central drop-off station in the 3500 block of S. Sheridan Road.

Environmental Fact

Nov 19, 2009

Unless something is done to stop global warming/climate change, in your lifetime there will be no more Polar Bears in the wild!

Fact of the Day

Nov 19, 2009

One acre of trees provides oxygen for 18 people. The acre of trees will absorb the amount of carbon dioxide each year equivalent to that produced by a car driven 26,000 miles.

Fact for the Day

Nov 18, 2009

Trees reduce carbon emissions from our atmosphere while producing oxygen. As the tree grows it is possible that it could provide enough oxygen needed to sustain one human life.

Kids Planting Trees!

Nov 17, 2009

This is a picture of one of the girls that attended our presentation. This picture was graciously emailed to us by her parents.

Exposure!

Nov 17, 2009

When our school heard of our project to help save the polar bears by planting trees, they were so excited that they posted an article on their website. If you want to check it out here is the link and below that is a picture of the site:

http://www.hollandhall.org/?p=hh_news&NewsId=1344

Advice from a Tree

Nov 15, 2009

* Stand Tall and Proud

* Sink your roots into the Earth

* Go out on a limb

* Remember your roots

* Drink plenty of water

* Be content with your natural beauty

* Enjoy the view

The last of the trees...

Nov 14, 2009

We will be done planting the rest of our trees by this Wednesday. We will be going out to one of Tulsa Housing Authority's many sites (which are similar to government housing) to plant 100 trees. After all of the trees are in the ground we will shift our focus to educating kids, parents, and teachers about trees and the environment. So far we have been able to reach around 750 people through our presentations and tree handouts. We have also created an educational group on Facebook which will help us reach hundreds of people.

Another GTOT meeting

Nov 14, 2009

Today our group met to discuss the project. We are planning our planting date for the Tulsa Housing Authority planting. We are close to wrapping up the planting part of our project and beginning the education part. We have a few possible presentations that we will hold during the next month.

Tree Planting at our school

Nov 12, 2009

Today we had the 8th grade science classes help us plant the 100 trees we acquired from the Apache Grant. The trees were planted on our school's campus. Not only will these trees help our environment by absorbing carbon dioxide, they also will make our campus more beautiful.

Our Primary School Presentation

Nov 02, 2009

Today our group went to the Primary School to teach the kids about global warming and how it affects the polar bears. We gave them many tips on how to help, including recycling, carpooling, and of course planting trees! We told the kids of all the benefits trees provide and gave them each 2 saplings to take home. One of the trees is to plant in their own yard, and the other is to give to a friend or neighbor. This way we are able to educate twice the amount of people. They were VERY excited to help save the polar bears.

This is a photo of all the kids promising to plant their trees and follow the environmental tips we gave them.

Mike delivering some saplings to a classroom.

Our official logo!

Nov 02, 2009

We have had this for around a month now, but we have just figured out how to post it on our blog.

Saplings info cards

Oct 31, 2009

Here are the info cards that we attached to the 600 saplings.

Saplings!

Oct 31, 2009

The saplings have arrived, and sorting has begun!

Oct 31, 2009

Today we met for the first time since our 600 Loblolly pine saplings arrived. We spent the majority of the meeting taping and rubber-banding pamphlets and fliers onto them. Each primary school student will receive 2 saplings, one to plant themselves and the other to give to a friend or neighbor. We also discussed pickup-up dates for our 200 4-6 foot trees. Those 200 trees will be planted in Government Housing areas.

We will be distributing the saplings this Monday during our presentation to approximately 300 students + faculty. We will be educating them on the "plight" of the polar bears, and what they can do to help. We will explain how planting trees in Oklahoma can help polar bears thousands of miles away.

Tons of trees, and thats only from 1 semi!

Oct 31, 2009

Unloading Oak Trees

Oct 31, 2009

Unloading Trees

Oct 31, 2009

Semi-Trucks Full of Trees

Oct 31, 2009

The Trees are Here!!!!

Oct 28, 2009

Today 6 semi-trucks arrived carrying thousands of trees for Up With Trees. Up With Trees then distributes them to local organizations who were aproved during the application process. We will receive 200+ 6 foot trees off those trucks. Today Connor took a few volunteers with him to help unload the trucks. We plan to pick up our own trees in the next few days.

Meetings, lots of meetings

Oct 28, 2009

During the last few weeks our GreenTree team has been meeting 2-3 times a week. There is lots to be done, and it is crunch time. Everything is happening at once! We have our Primary School presentation date set for Monday, November 2nd and we have our presentation ready.

Autumn progress

Oct 22, 2009

Things are beginning to come together. Trees have been ordered, and we're set to break ground. The details should be established early next week. The primary school presentation is set for Monday November 2nd. The weather seems to be getting colder, and we need to get our little ones planting soon.

Trees are coming!!

Oct 07, 2009

We now officially have 800 trees. 600 of which are going to be distributed in the Primary School (Grades Kindergarden- 3rd grade). Each student will get two trees. One to plant at their house, and one to give to a neighbor or friend to plant at their house. This will result in new trees being planted throughout the city.

The other 200 trees will be planted on our school's campus and at government housing locations throughout the city.

It's All Downhill From Here...

Oct 05, 2009

We have finally acquired our trees!!

Due to generous donations from Up With Trees and the Oklahoma Forestry Service we have access to 800+ trees.

We will be planting our large trees at Government owned housing developments. Not only will these trees reduce the Co2 in the air, they will also help beautify these low-income areas. We have scouted 17 potential sites and have narrowed it down to 8 possible areas in which we plan to plant.

Moving Forward

Sep 14, 2009

We're still pursuing our lead with Up With Trees, and they've told us that they'd be happy to supply us with decent-sized trees to plant on city property. We hope to look in to planting trees near the water treatment plant, public housing, and possibly at the zoo as a way to spread the word of our plan to reforest Tulsa.

We're on a roll, but finding saplings continues to be a struggle for us. We've found several places that would be glad to help us, but can't supply them until April.

We'll be sure to post a graph soon of the effect that our proposed plantings would have on the CO2 in the atmosphere. Our plan seems to be progressing nicely as a whole.

Looking Back

Sep 08, 2009

GreenTree has finally made it over the hump. We have secured our Trees and have several areas we are contemplating planting them. In the past month and a half, our group has done the following:

Created an enviormental organization

Met with executives of large companies

Sent over 20 emails and letters to possible tree donors in over 4 states.

Created several plans and agendas

Greatly influenced kids at our school just by what we have been doing

and lots more!!!!

We plan to continue all these great things even years after project polar bear is over. Our plan is to incorporate our organization into the school and form a club like group where we will continue to plant trees every spring and fall. With any luck we will be able to model our organization after other local tree groups and become one of Tulsa's tree planting super-powers.

At Up With Tree's new office

Sep 05, 2009

Outside Up With Trees

Sep 05, 2009

In The conference room of Up With Trees

Sep 05, 2009

Meeting With Up With Trees

Aug 30, 2009

By Connor Cass

Last Friday, Mike, Caroline, and I met with the Operations director of Up With Trees, Steve Grantham and the Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator, April Woodul. The Executive Director, Anna America, was unable to attend. We went to their new office and talked in their nice conference room. Not only did we learn new things about how Up With Trees operates, but we also learned that they are more than willing to help us. They are for sure able to provide large trees for one of our projects, and are trying their best to find saplings to give us. They also offered us the opportunity to partner with them in their Neighborwoods program which kicks off in October. We are extremely grateful for their help in our efforts to reforest Tulsa!

Meetings!

Aug 27, 2009

Tomorrow, Friday the 28th, we are meeting with the executives of Up With Trees. Up With Trees is the large non-profit organization that is big on planting trees all around Tulsa and surrounding areas. Hopefully they will be able to help us in our efforts to make Tulsa a better and greener town to live in.

Monday, August 17th

Aug 17, 2009

GreenTree of Tulsa

After sending 15 letters to different tree organizations , on August 15th, Connor Cass recieved three e-mails from different tree organizations including the Arbor Day Foundation, Up With Trees, and Alliance for Community Trees. The executives of Up With Trees would like to set up a meeting with the three of us. The Alliance for Community Trees are willing to try to help us. We are still trying to set up a meeting with our school's headmaster to inform him of our plan to distribute the saplings. We have designed a logo for our group and it will be posted soon. Today we are working on blog posts, writing a mission statement (our goal, where we will start, and a timeline of getting/distributing trees) to present to our headmaster, planning one thing for each of us to do before our next meeting, and setting up an official calendar for our meetings. Although off to a slow start, we have finally sped up and will hopefully be twice as productive our next meeting!!