Richard Hodges established
ReTreeUS
in 2012, to promote an environmentally sustainable and socially just food system through education, practical resources, and mentorship. The program plants orchards in schools and provides educational programs that empower people to be healthy environmental stewards.
The COVID-19 pandemic underlines how essential it is to create greater food security and self-sustainability in our communities. Teaching young people to grow their own food and empowering them to do so is an important way to create a deeper sense of security in uncertain times. Due to the virus, many aspects of life right now, remind us of the importance of the
ReTreeUS mission. The program will be doubling down on the effort to provide the next generation with the resources and knowledge necessary to grow food in a way that will improve the environment and support greater community resilience.
During this time of social distancing, the program has had to adapt. While their mission remains the same, their work has necessarily adjusted. Especially affected were their plans for on-the-ground activity this spring. They have pivoted from their plans of in-person lessons and orchard plantings, which involve working directly with students, and instead are developing and distributing remote learning resources.
Although COVID-19 has caused their program to adjust
,
they maintain their
perseverance and positivity!
ReTreeUS will continue to generate lessons and connect people with activities, "through education, practical resources, and mentorship" using digital platforms of communication instead of their typical onsite/hands in the dirt approach.
ReTreeUS will continue to spread their Back to School Garden model, that focuses effort and harvest around the school calendar, once students can again participate and interact publicly.
When quarantine orders have been lifted,
ReTreeUS Orchard Caretakers will begin taking inventory of all trees planted by the program in over 40 Maine orchards. This information will be used to build a database that will provide a learning platform and showcase for how orchards store carbon. It will also show how local food production can impact the carbon footprint of the food supply chain. These orchard effects contribute to important climate change mitigation.
ReTreeUs also has plans to expand their program into neighboring states New Hampshire and Massachusetts.