From a volunteer: Why you should be a Crew Leader

By Matt Pizzuti,  volunteer Crew Leader for the Green Space Program

I confess, I am not a morning person. I am somebody who has to set three alarms because I’ll blow through the first two, then I’ll spend 40 minutes in the shower just standing there because I fell asleep or zoned out trying to wake up. Breakfast? Forget about it! I’ll tell you what: in these upcoming elections, I will pledge my vote to any candidate who vows to get rid of mornings — that wretched, miserable time of weekdays — to stops all clocks from 2 a.m. until noon.

That was my biggest hang-up last year about signing up as a Crew Leader; if you’ve never done it before you may have some apprehensions of your own. But for me, it turned out to be well worth it to sacrifice just a few Saturday mornings per winter for as positive an experience as it has been.

Considering Crew Leading?

More on the Green Space Program

The Northwest is covered with outdoor spaces where, although they are open space, the impact of human encroachment is still all too apparent. They are corners of parks and greenbelts where vegetation is trampled or disturbed, or riparian zones where invasive species have choked out native plants. As more and more local land is taken up by development, these protected green areas in and around the city are extremely important habitat for wildlife as well as flood and pollution control.

With our ever-improving understanding of these urban-boundary ecosystems, Friends of Trees is one organization restoring local watersheds by planting native shrubs and trees. As a Crew Leader, you’ll get special training in plant identification, planting techniques and troubleshooting. You’ll lead crews that plant hundreds of baby trees, beautifying these spaces and offering them back to the wilderness.

More on the Neighborhood Trees Program

Friends of Trees’ most visible work in urban areas is promoting and planting the yard and streetside trees that you’ve probably noticed in your area with Friends of Trees tags on them. Urban trees bring numerous benefits you can enjoy directly when they’re growing in your home or neighborhood, and this, too, is done through the leadership and support of Crew Leaders who can provide volunteers with direction and teach planting techniques. You’ll learn a lot about identifying and caring for trees and interact directly with communities.

Benefits of Being a Crew Leader

Being Crew Leader is an easy way to quickly get some knowledge and experience with trees and plants, as well as some basic leadership experience with a lot of support from Friends of Trees staff. After a one-day training you’re ready to show up on planting days to greet your fellow crew leaders, enjoy free food, get your assigned plot and lead your volunteers as they arrive. Crew leading is also a great way to get some regular light exercise and take some photos to spread awareness of trees. For your first season (November-April), you’ll co-lead your crews with an experienced mentor while you learn the ropes.

I mentioned I’m not a morning person, but I came to find something magical about each planting day, stepping outside in the near-total desolation of an early Saturday morning in urban Portland under an ashy-pink sky, with the sound of only birds and the cool feeling of crisp, misty air.

I’d pick up my planting buddies (there’s a convenient carpool list, and you can sign up to crew lead all the same planting events as a friend if you want) and head to the planting site, where I’d learn more about different areas in the region, meet some wonderful people, and plant literally hundreds of trees. It was such an enjoyable experience for me that this year I’m hoping to recruit a few more of my friends to come with me — I hope to see you there too!

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