It’s a starkly different world we’re living in now than it was even a few months ago.
Because of COVID19, Trees SC has had to cancel all in-person programs and events, which has severely restricted a main source of revenue for this organization. If we cannot adapt, it will damage our capability to carry out our mission.
We have reacted, like much of the service economy has done, by working online through Zoom and other technologies to hold meetings and discuss ideas and make decisions. We are indeed fortunate that technology enables our organization to continue to operate to a certain extent, without having to physically meet face-to-face. We can plan and administer remotely as long as we need to, but like the rest of the world under this pandemic, we eagerly anticipate returning to a more “normal” way of life, whenever that becomes possible.
In the meantime, there are three main ways that you can help us navigate these trying times. First, if you haven’t heard of our pledge drive to raise $25,000.00 by now, please take a minute to check it out and see how the Say “Trees” Photo Challenge works. We hope you will participate, have some fun with it, and help us meet our goal.
Second, you can participate in our Annual Conference on October 15 and 16, Virtual Forest: Connecting People and Trees on a Digital Platform. The Conference Committee has worked hard to develop a meaningful educational program that we can deliver online. We are trying hard to provide meaningful ways to network online with the Virtual Conference as well.
Third, if you ever wanted to rock a tree-themed license plate on your vehicle, you could support Trees SC by purchasing a personalized license plate through the SCDMV website, which is here. (You may need to use the search function; just type “trees” into the box.) This design was the winner of a statewide contest, and we feel like it does a great job of promoting trees for South Carolina – and, our organization receives a small amount from each license plate sale.
In my entire lifetime I can’t say I’ve often gotten very excited about change. Change is hard, I generally don’t like doing it, and I really want to drag my feet whenever it looks imminent. But I want to tell you how proud I am of the way Trees SC has been able to react and adapt to our rapidly changing COVID19 world. We’re all in this pandemic together – and everybody else has had to change and adapt to it as well. If things go well, hopefully this pandemic will demonstrate how much the world can accomplish by working together toward a common goal, because that is what it will take to keep this planet habitable for all.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay strong.
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