Three rad reasons to become a Crew Leader
By Jenny Bedell-Stiles
Fall is upon us again. Time for sipping pumpkin beer, pulling out the rain boots, and heading out on a last camping trip. At Friends of Trees, it’s also time to ramp up for another record-breaking tree planting season—and we need your help!
The most coveted, the most popular, and arguably the most fun volunteer role is our Crew Leader position! Ask any of our Crew Leaders why they do this work and you’ll get a bunch of awesome answers, but they basically boil down to three rad reasons.
- You will meet and get to know the most amazing people! Are you new to town? Want to meet your neighbors or just expand beyond your bubble? You’ll meet great volunteers at weekend plantings.
- You’ll learn valuable skills! If you want to build up your resume and gain marketable skills, Crew Leading is for you. Our Crew Leaders are trained by professional arborists and organizers, bringing together the skills of physical tree planting with the personal skills of leading groups of people toward a successful result.
- You are making a difference! Crew Leaders contribute in a major way to the sustainability and livability of our communities. At a single Saturday planting, our teams plant anywhere from 200-2,000 trees in neighborhoods and natural areas. How’s that for instant gratification?
The best part is that we’re holding our Crew Leader Trainings next month, and we want you on board!
To join our Crew Leader ranks (and earn a coveted Tree Team T-shirt in the process), you need to attend a training on a Saturday in November. We ask that all Crew Leaders attend at least four plantings during the season. You can schedule the plantings in advance to best fit your schedule.
Register now for either the Green Space Crew Leader program or the Neighborhood Trees Crew Leader program. Crew Leader positions are popular roles, and the trainings are filling up quickly.
— Bedell-Stiles is the Volunteer & Outreach Specialist for Friends of Trees.