What Are Forest ReLeaf's Priority ReLeaf and Treesilience Programs?

Priority ReLeaf and Treesilience are two of Forest ReLeaf's targeted planting initiatives. Priority ReLeaf directs tree planting to the places that need canopy most, while Treesilience works to grow a resilient tree canopy by "leveling the planting field." Both sit alongside the organization's broader mission: working with community groups, individuals, municipal governments, under-resourced communities, and nonprofits to expand native tree growth across Missouri.

Priority ReLeaf: planting where trees are needed most

The program's own description is short and specific: "Forest ReLeaf is growing trees where they're needed most."

That framing matters because it distinguishes Priority ReLeaf from general tree giveaways or one-off plantings. The organization states it does not "plant trees randomly" but instead plans "for well-adapted, ecologically appropriate trees in the right places to support thriving, biodiverse forest systems across our urban and wildlands." Priority ReLeaf is the piece of that strategy aimed at the locations with the greatest need.

Who it's for

Based on Forest ReLeaf's stated partnerships, the beneficiaries of priority planting are:

• Under-resourced communities
• Community groups and individuals organizing locally
• Municipal governments
• Nonprofits

If your neighborhood, school, park, or community organization lacks canopy and you're trying to change that, Priority ReLeaf is the program category to look at first.

Treesilience: growing a resilient canopy by "leveling the planting field"

Treesilience is described as "Growing a resilient tree canopy by 'leveling the planting field.'"

The phrase "leveling the planting field" is the key idea. A resilient canopy isn't just about total tree count — it's about whether the places that historically received the least investment end up with the same access to trees and their benefits as better-resourced areas. Treesilience targets that imbalance directly.

Why resilience is the goal

Forest ReLeaf ties its planting to outcomes that go beyond aesthetics:

• Cleaner air and water
• Wildlife habitat
• Community benefits and ecosystem impact (the organization's "Why Trees?" theme)

A canopy that is resilient and biodiverse is better positioned to keep delivering those benefits over time. That's the logic connecting Treesilience's equity framing to its ecological framing.

How the two programs relate

They aren't competing programs so much as two angles on the same problem: one asks where planting should happen, the other asks who has been left out of it.

What this looks like in practice

Forest ReLeaf reports its work through annual figures. For 2025, the site tracks planting projects, seedlings potted, trees planted, species grown, and volunteer hours — the operational side of both programs.

The human side shows up in how participants describe the work. Dail Chambers, founder of Coahoma Orchards, said: "I was concerned about asthma and air quality in general, so planting trees was my response to the state of the City." Matthew Knopf-Amelung, senior groundskeeper at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, framed trees as a keystone species: "So many things rely on trees, including us."

Those comments reflect the same priorities the programs are built around — health, air quality, and the ecological role of trees in places that need them.

Where to go next

• If you have a public or nonprofit project that needs trees, Forest ReLeaf's CommuniTree program offers free trees for public and nonprofit projects — a separate track from Priority ReLeaf and Treesilience.
• If you want to contribute time, the Volunteer page is the entry point.
• If you want to see the work in person, Events lists upcoming gatherings, such as the Persimmon Festival on October 17, 2026, at City Tree Farm in St. Louis.
• If you want updates, the site offers a mailing list signup.

For the underlying mission and organizational background, see the overview of Forest ReLeaf (ForestKeepers Network).