Healing Trees

HEALING TREES: "Heal Our Communities ~ Offer Remembrance ~ Celebrate Life"

“The cultivation of trees is the cultivation of the good, the beautiful, and the ennobling in man”.

— J. Sterling Morton

As a direct response to the Tucson tragedies of January 8, 2011, the Healing Trees Humanitarian Program: "Heal Our Communities, Offer Remembrance and Celebrate Life" was created. The Arizona Community Tree Council, Trees for Tucson | Tucson Clean and Beautiful and The Fusion Foundation are working together to heal our communities, offer remembrance, and celebrate life with the planting of Healing Trees across the state and across the country. Healing Trees are a visual life-giving memorial commemorating the lives of those who died, honoring those who were injured and paying tribute to the outstanding actions of forgiveness, compassion, understanding, kindness and love we witnessed in the wake of the tragedy by so many in the Tucson community.

Eight tree planting events are scheduled for February 12, 13 and 14, 2011:

February 12, 2011 - 7:00 p.m. - Fiddler's Dream Coffee House, Phoenix
Phoenix Friends Meeting (Quakers) will plant a mesquite tree to replace a beloved, deceased palm tree, recently laid to rest by our First Day (Sunday) School children. We are pleased to take part in this state-wide action that brings a measure of peace and dignity to our beleagered citizens and offers us another opportunity to practice our peace testimony. Fiddler's Dream Coffee House, celebrating their Season for Non-violence February 12, will announce this tree planting at their performance. 1702 East Glendale, Phoenix, AZ 85020

February 13, 2011 - 1:00 p.m. - Creative Living Fellowship, Phoenix
Lynn Rocha, a general contractors' specialist with McGraw Hill publications and a community shaman with Spirit Keepers, is purchasing the tree from Baker Nurseries. Greg Peterson, founder of Urban Farm and a member of Creative Living Fellowship, will provide a brief education about the native desert mesquite that will be planted, Rev Michelle Whittington will guide the ceremony.

February 14, 2011 - 9:00 a.m. - Khalsa Montessori, Tucson
The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation is sponsoring this planting at Khalsa Montessori, with Trees for Tucson, funded by Tucson Electric Power, together with Tucson Clean and Beautiful, providing the trees and the education on the planting and care of the trees to those participating.

February 14, 2011 - 10:00 a.m. - Lowell Elementary, Phoenix
Two 24-inch mesquite trees will be donated by the Cultural Arts Coalition under the direction of Judy Hillman-Butzine. One will be planted in Lowell's playground and one will be planted in Lowell's Tierra Buena courtyard.

February 14, 2011 - 10:00 a.m. - Red Rock High School, Sedona
Two fruit trees will be planted by Red Rock High School's Gardening Club and its sponsor Elaine Watkins. Jake Weber will donate a peach tree and an apple tree. Gardens for Humanity has been a catalyst for the event since Gardens for Humanity is helping with Red Rock High School's garden. The trees were donated by the owner of a local IGA supermarket.

February 14, 2011 - 10:00 a.m. - Creative Life Center, Sedona
Gardens for Humanity will be planting a Pomegranate tree at the Karmapa Peace Garden at the Creative Life Center in Sedona on Monday the 14th. Adele Seronde will lead the dedication ceremony.

February 14, 2011 - 12:30 p.m. - Crittenton Youth Academy, Phoenix
Crittenton students and staff will participate in the planting of a 15-gallon desert mesquite. The tree is being donated as part of a beautification project funded by a grant from American Express, and implemented by the school’s Biology Department Chair and botanist, Theresa Johnson. Additionally, local author and artist-in-residence Stella Pope Duarte will recite poems reflecting the importance of planting tress to help heal and unite the community.

February 14, 2011 - 2:00 p.m. - Cesar Chavez Plaza, Phoenix
Two 24-inch box Blue Palo Verde trees will be planted at Cesar Chavez Plaza across from Phoenix City Hall on Monday, February 14 at 2:00 p.m. The trees are being donated and DLC Resources is donating their services to dig holes for the trees. The Blue Palo Verde is the Arizona state tree.
Olivia Calderon, a world-renowned mariachi soloist, will sing during the ceremony, which will feature other community members as participants as well.

February 14, 2011, 2:30 p.m. - Cottonwood Community Garden in Riverfront Park, Cottonwood
The Cottonwood Community Garden in Riverfront Park will be the scene of a memorial tree-planting event. Cottonwood Mayor Diane Joens and Bobbie Gooslin, community garden board member, invite area residents to participate in a “Heal Our Souls” event. Dr. Jay Fleishman, who was an avid community gardener and supporter, will also be remembered.
A pomegranate tree, donated by Biddles Outdoor Center, will be planted. Mayor Joens says, “We will bring Valentine’s hearts to symbolize the ongoing connection of community members who support working together as instruments of peace, compassion and healing in our communities.”

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Healing Trees - Together We Thrive

As we launch this project on the 50th anniversary of John Kennedy's inaugural address, many of us who are 50ish and are working on the Healing Trees project remember JFK's call to action to “Ask what you can do for your country.” Many of us were inspired by the Kennedys to participate in government. When Congresswoman "Gabby" Giffords was shot and six people died and 12 others were injured, we knew we had to stand up for something.

We want to honor those who lost their lives, those who were injured and their loved ones by planting trees as living memorials throughout Arizona and beyond. Let us all take a stand to honor those who gathered for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’s "Congress on Your Corner" on Saturday, January 8, 2011. Let us provide living trees that will stand tall and proud in Arizona for many, many years to come.

The FUSION Foundation and the Arizona Community Tree Council (ACTC) have joined resources to plant trees throughout our communities beginning on February 14th, which is Arizona's 99th birthday, as an ongoing act of love and support to work together as instruments of peace, compassion and healing in our communities.

Healing Trees will be ongoing throughout the year and will function as the ACTC commemorative tree planting program

WHO

The FUSION Foundation brings together individuals and organizations to make positive community change with local action with a global vision. We strive to educate and empower organizations, individuals and communities about one another. We provide programs that awaken new perspectives and experiences that promote true community involvement through the development, application and principles of synergistic transformation and the basic framework of the 12-around-1 operating system.

The Arizona Community Tree Council, Inc. (ACTC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the care and planting of trees, and promotes the education and exchange of information about trees and the essential role they play in the well being of all Arizona communities. The Council is composed of representatives from individual Arizona counties, tribal communities, government agencies, professional organizations and other individuals who have a statewide interest in the Council’s mission.

WHAT

Healing Trees: We are coordinating a collective tree planting to create tangible, visible acts of support that offer a generational, transformative healing process.

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Community Joins Together To Move Forward and Thrive

This is a moment in time that presents an opportunity to come together around a common purpose -- to create a society that supports all our children, and honors all life.

The FUSION Foundation has partnered with the Arizona Community Tree Council to plant trees throughout our communities on Arizona Statehood Day - February 14th to demonstrate our desire to work together to be instruments of peace and compassion in our communities.

Our intention is to
- Honor those who lost their lives and were injured in Tucson on January 8, 2011.
- Sybolize deep roots and growing communities together
- Create a unified moment for us to reflect how we will choose to be instruments of peace, compassion and understanding with ourselves and in our communities
- Come together again 11 months from this date to hold ourselves accountable and to reflect on how we acted as instruments of peace (similar to the unveiling of the headstone in the Jewish tradition and the wiping of the tears in Native American traditions.)

The impetus for the Healing Trees campaign was born out of a desire to respond with an act that would honor the six members of our Arizona community who died and provide a visual support to their families and loved ones. We also want to be proactive in a manner that would fulfill our intention to bring people together in a common cause, support life and as a loving sign of support for those who were injured, including a friend to so many - Arizona Congresswoman "Gabby" Giffords.

Annie Loyd, founder of The FUSION Foundation explains, "So many people contacted us and asked, "How can we help?" Jodi Powers, vice president of The FUSION, and fourth-generation Tucson native suggested planting trees as living memorials for all those who were shot in Tucson.

So many people have committed incredible acts of kindness and selflessness.

We believe this is a moment in time for less words and more actions. Planting trees seems like something we can all do together - young and old. It is an opportunity to bring our unique differences together and witness how much we do have in common and desire to move forward and continue the healing process that has been taught to us by our "brothers and sisters" in Tucson!

We honor the six members of our Arizona Community who lost their lives on January 8, 2011:

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