RETREET BLOG

RETREET redefines disaster relief by engaging communities to replant lost trees.

BOULDER RETREET II
June 3rd-5th, 2016

Lyons, CO, is a community of about 2,000 people 15 miles north of Boulder. In the 1860s, families from the eastern U.S. began settling land that had been home to the Ute Nation. In 1881, Edward S. Lyon founded the town after buying 160 acres and opening a sandstone quarrying operation. Over the years, Lyons grew into a reputable destination for those wishing to spend time in its unforgettable scenery.

On September 12th, 2013, Lyons was severely affected by floodwater that inundated much of the front range, including Jamestown and Evans, the sites of our two previous Colorado RETREETs. The National Guard began evacuating the entire town at daybreak. One life was lost.

Last weekend, 35 volunteers gathered in Lyons to plant 100 trees at 20 homes and in Bohn Park. Their unique contribution to the landscape of that community greatly impacted the residents in a way that will be long remembered, much like their experience of participating in BOULDER RETREET II!

RETREETers began to arrive in Denver on Wednesday, June 1st, just in time for the Denver Cruiser Ride. A favorite from last year, the DCR's theme this time around was "The People of Walmart." We did our best to blend. Our group made a lot of new friends at the starting point, Little Machine Brewery, and at the The Dead End, the ceremonial end point which is little more than a cul-de-sac on the other side of the train tracks, under a bridge. A great party ensued.

The next morning, trees and supplies began to arrive in Lyons and RETREETers were on site to receive them. The Home Depot delivered mulch, wildlife protection, and tools, all of which they donated through a grant from The Home Depot Foundation. Trees, including Colorado spruce, wavyleaf oak, hotwings maple, and thinleaf alder, were procured from Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery and were purchased with funds granted by both Lyons Lions Club and LUSH Cosmetics. Staff from the Town of Lyons and the Parks Department helped deliver material to home sites with us that day, in anticipation of the planting. The previous week, members of Colorado State Forest Service met with each resident in order to mark appropriate planting locations. By the end of the day, we were set to plant.

SUPPLIES BEING DELIVERED BY THE HOME DEPOT

On Friday, the 3rd, a dozen RETREETers gathered at Full Cycle, a bike shop in downtown Boulder that provided bicycles for folks traveling in from far and wide. Cyclists 4 Community, a partner from last year and a likeminded organization that has raised $200,000 for flood victims to date, then took us on a wonderful guided ride, a loop between Boulder and Lyons. It was an absolutely perfect day, group, and route.

All remaining RETREETers arrived in Colorado on Saturday and, once gathered, the assembly headed to The Outdoor Games. Everyone took turns enjoying the festival and manning the RETREET booth, a perfect opportunity to reach out to a highly receptive crowd. Luckily, we set up right in front of the BMX course, which made for some spectacular views. We capped the night with a group dinner at The Mediterranean and a stroll around Boulder. Talk about a taste of Colorado!

Sunday, members of Team Depot joined RETREETers for a demonstration planting in Bohn Park, after which a group planting was held. From there, small groups were formed and sent into neighborhoods, each planting at 5 homes. At the end of the day, the crew enjoyed dinner and drinks at Oskar Blues, in celebration with local residents. The mayor even popped by to say thanks!

Additional operational support for BOULDER RETREET was provided by Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation, who approved a $10,000 grant in support of BOULDER RETREET II. We offer them our gratitude. We can't wait to come plant trees again in Colorado!

BASTROP RETREET VI
February 27th+28th, 2016

RETREET was born in Bastrop four years ago. A group of volunteers, most of whom were cyclists, wanted to plant trees for a community that was badly burned by a monthlong wildfire that began September 4th, 2011. Over 34,000 acres and 1,600 homes were scorched. Our first event, which took place January 22nd-24th, 2012, was a massive effort that sparked the creation of RETREET, an organization that now redefines the concept of disaster relief through direct action.

Our sixth RETREET in Bastrop saw the planting of our 4,000th tree. A total of 24 RETREETers traveled in from California, Minnesota, New York, and all across Texas to work. On Sunday, February 28th, 2016, they were joined by 31 local volunteers from H-E-B and The Home Depot, bringing the total count to 55. All told, the group planted 160 trees at 26 homes sites, a beautiful mix of bald cypresses, Texas redbuds, Monterrey oaks, chinquapin oaks, Shumard oaks, and native pecans.

The first trees arrived in Bastrop on Thursday afternoon, February 25th, as did the first RETREETers. The trees were delivered by Tree Life Farms on behalf of Apache Corporation, who donated 100 5-gallon trees to BASTROP RETREET VI as part of their Tree Grant Program. The following morning, a small group of RETREETers accepted the delivery of the second set of trees, an even mix of 15-gallon bald cypresses and Texas redbuds that came from Magnolia Garden Nursery. Those trees were purchased with funds provided to RETREET through LUSH Cosmetics' Charity Pot Program. The Home Depot Foundation granted $6,600 for supplies, most of which were collected after all of the trees were loaded. Thankfully, Bastrop Parks & Recreation staff sent two trucks and trailers to help deliver the trees and planting materials to home sites. Their help made all the difference! Miller Family Automotive also came through in a big way again this year through their contribution of a U-Haul box truck to the delivery fleet.

The following morning, Saturday, February 27th, RETREETers began to converge in Bastrop. Over a dozen went for a memorable 25-mile ride through Bastrop and Buescher State Parks, following the path of the MS-150 and conquering a number of challenging hills. The weather was absolutely perfect and smiles ran rampant. Special thanks to our friends at Richardson Bike Mart, who again loaned us a few bicycles from their rental fleet for RETREETers traveling in from other states.

That evening, the group was given an exceptional treat. Richard Linklater, the Oscar-nominated director of Boyhood, invited our entire crew to his home for dinner, drinks, and entertainment. La Cucina di Afrodita whipped up an incredible feast that silenced the crowd and filled every belly with love. The RETREETers planted six trees on site, a token of our thanks for the incredible hospitality of the Linklater family. We look forward to watching them grow alongside all of the other trees we have planted in Bastrop.

DINNER AT THE LINKLATERS WITH LA CUCINA DI AFRODITA

Sunday morning, February 28th, RETREETers and planting day participants met at RETREET HQ, Pecan Street Inn, a location that was paid for through a grant from Felvis Foundation. After an enlightening tree planting demonstration given by Texas A&M Forest Service, small groups were formed and sent to residences to the east of Bastrop State Park, in an area that was burned during both the Bastrop County Complex wildfires and the Hidden Pines Fire. Many of the homes at which we planted were burned after being reconstructed, and many of those belonged to members of the volunteer fire department. The stories of their efforts during the wildfires are truly inspiring and heart-wrenching.

Lunch was provided by H-E-B, and the planters enjoyed a sunny afternoon ride around town following their work. That night, those who remained in town enjoyed hand-tossed pizzas at Neighbor's Kitchen & Yard. It was the perfect end to a fulfilling weekend. We are especially grateful to Felicia Graham for taking so many wonderful photos! Click any of the ones you see to view the complete album.

PROPER TREE PLANTING TECHNIQUES WITH TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE

WIMBERLEY RETREET
January 16th-18th, 2016

On Memorial Day weekend in 2015, more than 12 inches of rain fell along the watershed of the Blanco River in just a few short hours. In Wimberley, TX, the river rose from roughly 5 feet to a crest just over 41 feet, far above the 13 feet flood stage and well past the all-time peak level of 32 feet set in 1929. Tremendous flash flooding ensued as a result.

Entire blocks of homes in Wimberley were swept away by a "tidal wave of water" (The Wall Street Journal). Officials reported 320 homes destroyed in the town and 12 people lost their lives. Many of the centuries-old trees that lined the riverbank and formed a major part of Wimberley's identity were reduced to piles of rubble.

The week after the devastating flood, a man named Ryan reached out to RETREET asking for help. Ryan said he had called agencies, organizations, and businesses all over the country to ask for assistance and was told time and time again to contact RETREET. He was overjoyed to have our office on the phone and was hopeful that we would be able to bring trees back to Wimberley. We immediately made a commitment to do just that.

With the project announced, partners quickly began to come on board. First to step up were Arbor Day Foundation and Texas A&M Forest Service, who offered to provide $8,000 for the purchase of 15-gallon trees and to determine which tree species those should be, respectively. Then, meetings were arranged with Hays County Chapter Texas Master Naturalists and City of Wimberley, groups that would become invaluable local partners. As planting day approached, additional collaborators joined the cadre, including The Home Depot Foundation, who granted $7,500 in tools and materials, Richardson Bike Mart, who donated bicycle rentals for traveling RETREETers, Myers Concrete Construction, who provided trucks, trailers, and manpower to deliver trees and supplies to each home, and The Nature Conservancy, who gathered the residences that formed our planting list.

Our planting party began to arrive in Wimberley on Saturday morning, the 16th. Most took a bicycle ride that afternoon, led by a local cyclist, that started in Blue Hole Regional Park. After the ride, everyone enjoyed a free round courtesy of Twisted X Brewing Company. The group then sat for a fabulous meal at The Leaning Pear and, after dessert, wandered over to The Buzzard Bar for some evening entertainment. It was a fun introduction to town.

Sunday, January 17th, 33 RETREETers who had traveled to Wimberley from 7 states and Washington, D.C., were joined by 45 additional volunteers from all over central Texas, including students from Katherine Ann Porter Charter High School. All told, the group planted 206 trees at 37 homes and 2 community parks during 8 hours of hard work.

Following the planting, RETREET held a free community meal for all volunteers, residents, and partners—an epic Persian feast prepared by chef Daniel Avazpour.

Ready to replant homesites along the Blanco River.

A number of press outlets covered the event, including FOX, NBC, and The Weather Channel, which did a live, nationwide interview with our Executive Director onsite at the first planting location, a community park on River Road. It was an amazing opportunity to tell the story of the floods in Wimberley and RETREET's efforts to begin replanting the riverbank.

Live Nationwide Interview with The Weather Channel (video link)

Greatest of all, though, was the feedback we received from the residents of Wimberley. We got phone calls, emails, Facebook messages, and even a hand-written letter praising the volunteers not only for their work, but also for their professionalism and cheery demeanor. We are proud to call so many amazing individuals RETREETers, and to know that their presence in Wimberley will be felt for generations to come. What an amazing community!