ROCKPORT RETREET
November 15th-17th, 2019
November 15th-17th, 2019
When RETREET makes a commitment to replanting a community in the wake of disaster, we return to that community as many times as it takes to get the job done. Not everyone is ready to receive trees at the same time, not everyone hears about our program before our first visit, and, sometimes, there is just too much work to do in one go.
So, following our project in Port Aransas last year, we reached out to Keep Aransas County Beautiful to offer help replanting trees in other parts of Aransas County. Through KACB, meetings were set with elected officials, city staff, and leaders from local nonprofit and volunteer organizations. A planting date was chosen and the wheels for Rockport RETREET began turning. Residents were notified that a free tree planting would take place and requests for trees started flowing through our website.
MEMBERS OF KEEP ARANSAS COUNTY BEAUTIFUL INTRODUCE US TO ARANSAS COUNTY LONG TERM RECOVERY
We first reached out to sponsors who offered financial assistance to our program in Port Aransas in 2018. Without hesitation, The Home Depot Foundation gave $12,000 to purchase trees and supplies for Rockport RETREET and Tito’s Handmade Vodka gave $3,000 along with an additional $4,140 in product, advertising, and operational support for the community event that would follow our planting. H-E-B granted a $500 gift card for food and drinks for the volunteers and L&F Distributors donated beer for our community dinner. What a show of support!
Once we received funding for the trees, we visited Tree Town USA, a longtime partner who has consistently provided fantastic trees for our plantings. A robust group of 170 trees — coastal live oaks, cedar elms, and wax myrtles — were individually selected and tagged for delivery to Aransas County.
SELECTING TREES FOR ARANSAS COUNTY AT TREE TOWN USA
Two weeks before the planting, we began to submit utility locate requests to Texas 811. Planting a tree in the right place starts with knowing the locations of underground utility lines. Further, not only is submitting a request required by law, it makes planting much safer for volunteers.
At that point, the number of tree requests received surpassed 250, more than double the amount we would be able to address on planting day, Saturday, November 16th. We knew our work in Aransas County would bring us back to the area at least once, probably twice.
Meetings with Team Locate began to be scheduled. Volunteers from Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas Master Naturalists, Texas Master Gardeners, and Texas A&M Agrilife Extension visited with residents as planting day approached to discuss the trees we had to offer and choose proper planting locations at each home site.
On Wednesday, November 14th, the RETREET caravan departed departed Dallas, stopping along the way to pick up donated product from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, L&F Distributors, and H-E-B. They landed at Bimini House in Rockport, the use of which had been donated by the owner in thanks for our efforts in her community.
RETREETERS PICK UP DONATED PRODUCT FROM TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA
The morning of Friday, November 15th, donated trees and mulch arrived at Aransas County Airport, our staging area. RETREETers loaded these supplies onto smaller trucks provided by City of Rockport, Town of Fulton, Aransas County, and All Hands and Hearts, then delivered the planting materials to 90 home sites.
Following delivery, RETREET hosted a welcome dinner for volunteers and local partners at the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension office, directly across from the airport.
VOLUNTEERS UNLOAD TREES DONATED BY THE HOME DEPOT FOUNDATION
An astounding 153 volunteers materialized on Saturday, November 16th, to plant trees. The weather was perfect and the saying held — “the sun always shines on RETREET.” Many of the volunteers were members of Team Depot and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. RETREETers from California, Colorado, and Texas joined them, along with members of Team Locate.
153 VOLUNTEERS SHOWED UP TO PLANT TREES IN ARANSAS COUNTY ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH
Following a short program led by our executive director, Grady McGahan, the president of KACB, D’Ann Williams, and Aransas County Judge Burt Mills, the group learned how to properly plant a tree through a demonstration provided by Bill Green from Texas A&M Forest Service. Then, a dozen small groups were formed and sent out across Aransas County, where they planted 170 trees at 90 homes in 4 hours.
CAREFULLY PLANTING NATIVE TREES
That evening, we held A Celebration of Community! at La Palma Event Center, where volunteers, residents, and partners were treated to free live music, courtesy of Janelle Shetters, dinner from Butter Churn Restaurant, and drinks provided by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and L&F Distributors. It was an incredibly joyous occasion in celebration of all of the work that has been done to rebuild, and replant, Aransas County over the past 2 years.
Sunday morning, RETREETers were given a private tour of The Fulton Mansion. This historic home suffered major damage during Hurricane Harvey and, though restoration work still was underway, we were able to sneak a peak inside a month before it opened to the public — a truly special treat.
RETREETERS VISIT FULTON MANSION IN ROCKPORT
We also had a chance to visit the famous Big Tree, a 1,000 year-old live oak that once was a champion tree in Texas. It was a fitting end to a wonderful trip. Thereafter, most RETREETers began to return home, their hands sore and their hearts full.
A GROUP OF RETREETERS POSES IN FRONT OF BIG TREE