What is Forest ReLeaf (ForestKeepers Network) and what does it do?

Forest ReLeaf is a Missouri-focused nonprofit that plants trees and enriches communities. It works with community groups, individuals, municipal governments, under-resourced communities, and other nonprofits to expand native tree growth across Missouri's urban and wildlands. If you are looking for free trees for a public or nonprofit project, a place to volunteer, or a partner for community tree planting in Missouri, this is the organization to know.

What Forest ReLeaf does

The organization describes its approach as strategic rather than random: it plans for well-adapted, ecologically appropriate trees in the right places to support thriving, biodiverse forest systems. Its stated mission covers the air we breathe, the water we use, and the wildlife we love.

Its work is organized around several programs and focus areas:

Who it serves

Forest ReLeaf's stated service area is Missouri, with work spanning both urban and wildland settings. Its partner list is broad: community groups, individuals, municipal governments, under-resourced communities, and nonprofits. That mix matters if you are trying to figure out whether you qualify for a program — a neighborhood association, a city parks department, and a school group are all plausible partners, but the specific eligibility rules sit with each program.

Ways to get involved

• Need trees for a public or nonprofit project: Start with CommuniTree, which the site describes as offering free trees for public/nonprofit projects.
• Want to plant where it matters most: Look at Priority ReLeaf, focused on growing trees where they're needed most.
• Care about canopy equity: Treesilience frames its work as growing a resilient tree canopy by "leveling the planting field."
• Want to volunteer: The Volunteer page is the entry point for lending time and talents.
• Want to attend something: The Events section lists plantings and festivals, including the Persimmon Festival on October 17, 2026 at City Tree Farm, 2700 Samuel Shepard Dr, St. Louis, MO 63103.
• Want updates: The site offers a mailing list signup with email, name, and phone fields.

What the 2025 numbers show

Forest ReLeaf publishes annual impact figures. For 2025, the site lists counters for planting projects, seedlings potted, trees planted, species grown, and volunteer hours. The specific values are displayed as animated counters on the page, so check the live site for the current totals rather than relying on a static snapshot.

Why people work with them

The site collects quotes from partners and volunteers that hint at the organization's role. Matthew Knopf-Amelung, Senior Groundskeeper at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, describes trees as a keystone species that "humbles you." Stephen Bybee, a volunteer at Kiwanis Park in Columbia, MO, talks about the mystery and inspiration of long-standing trees. Kay La Banca, a Forest ReLeaf volunteer, points to the visible turnaround from spring to fall as rewarding. Dail Chambers, founder of Coahoma Orchards, says concerns about asthma and air quality led to planting trees as a response to the state of the city.

Bottom line

Forest ReLeaf is a Missouri tree-planting nonprofit that pairs free-tree programs for public and nonprofit projects with volunteer opportunities and targeted canopy work in under-resourced areas. If your project is in Missouri and serves the public good, CommuniTree is the natural first stop; if you want to give time rather than receive trees, the Volunteer page is the place to start.