The powerful EF-4 tornado with winds of 185 mph that swept through North Bryan County on April 5th was the strongest to strike the United States this year. The deadly twister stayed on the ground for 14 minutes—taking a life, injuring 12 more, and destroying many homes and hundreds of our trees.

The Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation has launched an ambitious campaign to help replace the lost trees in Hendrix Park, the Bryan County Courthouse and other affected areas in the path of the storm. Your donations, large or small, will be extremely welcomed and will help us buy trees to restore our beautiful tree canopy. We expect to begin replanting trees this fall.

Spend a Magical Evening With Ben Tucker at the Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation Root Ball

Richmond Hill City Center at J. F. Gregory Park
Silent Auction, Cocktails and Dinner
Music by The Ben Tucker Jazz Trio
Tickets $50 each

For more information call (912) 657-1221 or (912) 727-2544

All proceeds go towards creating a legacy of trees in our community.

Savannah’s popular Ben Tucker Jazz will perform Saturday evening, May 7^th at 7:00 p.m. for the Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation’s Root Ball fundraiser at the Richmond Hill City Center.

The Root Ball, which is open to the public, is an evening of great jazz music, food, and fun. There will be both a live and silent auction with a wide range of items including art, excursions, jewelry and some unique “priceless” specialty items. 

“Our volunteers make this event a truly magical evening for our guests,” said Foundation President Wendy Bolton. “Our past Root Balls have been wonderful but we expect this year’s event to be even better.  If there is one night out in the Hill that you shouldn’t miss, this is it!” she said.

It is no accident the Root Ball is planned around Earth Day. “Many of our Foundation members are long-time residents of the area who have watched our community develop into the wonderful place it is today,” Bolton said. “We all share the vision that people should give something back to the Earth – to help make it a better place. And that’s why we’re working to help to restore the tree canopy in our community. The “Root Ball” is really our Earth Day celebration – plus it’s a great party and a nice evening out!”

The Foundation began in 2001 with a vision of working with the community to create a legacy of trees.  Since then almost 800 volunteers have planted and maintained nearly 600 trees in south Bryan County along Ford Avenue, in J.F. Gregory Park at the schools and in Henderson Park. In addition, the organization facilitated the development and passage of a tree ordinance for both Bryan County and the City of Richmond Hill. Last year the Foundation awarded a $500 scholarship to a local high school student entering an environmentally focused field of study.  The Foundation also developed a partnership with area schools called Project Learning Tree that helps teachers bring valuable information back to their classrooms.

“To continue planting and caring for our trees requires a lot of money and volunteer labor,” said Carole Brogdon, Foundation Treasurer. “Donations to the Foundation are used to purchase trees and to water and care for the trees. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Root Ball go directly back to the community,” she said. The foundation is an IRS 501(c) (3) non-profit. Donations may be tax deductible.

To purchase advance tickets to the Root Ball or to inquire about attractive sponsorship packages, for both businesses and individuals call Carole Brogdon (912) 756-5884 or Wendy Bolton (912) 727-2544. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/treefoundation

Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation Announces Scholarship Opportunity

The Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation will award a $500 college scholarship to a Bryan County student this Spring.  This is the second year the scholarship has been offered by the organization.  The award will go to a student choosing one of the following fields of study: horticulture, environmental science, forestry, agriculture, biology or sustainable design.  The scholarship is available to any student residing in Bryan County.

The scholarship is made possible by an endowment for Jerry Holcomb.  Holcomb, a certified arborist, is a volunteer for the Foundation currently serving on the Board of Directors.

Click here to download a copy of the scholarship application.

For more information, call Wendy Bolton (912) 727-2544.

Arbor Day Tree Planting at Henderson Park

Bryan County’s Henderson Park received a gift of 55 trees over the weekend, thanks to the efforts of the Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation.

“We’ve planted more than 400 trees in Bryan County since our inception,” stated Wendy Bolton. “Last year we planted 55 trees here.”

Bolton and her group descended on the park at 9 a.m. and were met with many volunteers who wanted to help out.

“We had about 40 people show up to help,” Bolton said. “A lot of Richmond Hill High School students came to help.”

The trees were purchased through fundraising efforts, such as the foundation’s annual Root Ball. They were planted around the parking area to allow for shade in the future and help the park maintain its natural look.

They put in a wide variety of trees as well. CBTF’s Jerry Holcomb stated they put in live oaks, tulip poplars, crepe myrtles, lacebark elms, black gum, southern red oaks and willows. “And they’re all native,” he added. “This park will be absolutely gorgeous in 10 years.”

“Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation purchased these trees to plant on the county right-of-way to help Bryan County,” Holcomb said. “We have an excellent working relationship with the county. The county helps us take care of the trees. That’s a major part of it – getting them to survive. Once we put them in, though, our survival ratio has been about 90 percent.”

“The county has a tree ordinance that allows us to do this because we know they’ll be protected for the future,” Bolton said.

Showing up to help plant was Bryan County Commission Chairman Jimmy Burnsed. “I came a little late and they had gotten a lot of work done,” he said. “They really are helping with the natural look of the park. We appreciate it.”

Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation To Plant 50 Trees For Georgia Arbor Day

The Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation welcomes all interested volunteers who would like to help in the planting of 50 live oak trees on Saturday, February 18th.

The group will meet at the Richmond Hill Museum (Corner of Timber Trail Road and Hwy. 144) at 8:00 a.m. then divide into groups to plant the trees mostly along Harris Trail Road.

No previous experience is necessary, we’ll show you what to do. The trees will be container-grown oaks that we will be planting at pre-determined locations along the road right-of-way. We need help placing the trees, watering, mulching and staking the young trees. Volunteers are invited to stay for lunch to be served in J. F. Gregory Park at noon.

AT&T awards $2,500 to Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation

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 The Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation was the recipient today of a $2,500 donation from AT&T. The presentation was facilitated locally by a request from Linda Barker thru Senator Eric Johnson to AT&T. AT&T Governmental Affairs Representative Pat Wingo and Gail Johnson came to Richmond Hill with Senator Johnson to make the presentation. Participating in the presentation was Tree Foundation members Nevin Patton, Gene Brogdon, Linda Barker, Larry Barker and Mark Bolton.

Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation Receives Award For Outstanding Work

Wendy Bolton (left) and Carole Brogdon receive the Georgia Urban Forest Council’s Outstanding Civic Organization Award for 2005 presented at the Council’s Annual Conference in Dalton.

Decatur, GA — Kristina Eicher and Jessica Roth, Awards Co-Chairmen for the Georgia Urban Forest Council (GUFC), announce that the Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation has been selected to receive the Council’s Outstanding Civic Organization Award for 2005.   The City of Richmond Hill submitted their nomination.  Winners in all categories were honored at the GUFC Annual Conference and Awards Luncheon on Thursday, October 20, 2005, in Dalton.

The Foundation is currently supporting the coordination of a county-wide tree ordinance for Bryan County. The Foundation values tree canopy as an essential element in the quality and unique character of life on the coast and recognizes trees as economic, aesthetic and ecological assets for today and as a legacy for future generations.

“We have had input from the County and both cities as well as major builder/developers in the county. The level of support and mutual cooperation has been extremely positive. There is a great deal of interest in the process and the outcome throughout the state,” said Rena Patton, president of the Foundation.

 The Foundation will convene and facilitate workshops for interested parties, including elected officials, homebuilders, developers and home owners from all parts of the county. Incorporated into these seminars will be elements of low-impact design as well as models of ordinances that will solicit broad-based support from the community and reward the inclusion of trees in design plans.

“This ordinance will reach across governmental boundaries and bring that much sought-after cohesion that the elected officials of both the county and the cities — Pembroke and Richmond Hill— are seeking.” said Patton

Though only four years old, the Foundation has planted more than 130 live oaks in south Bryan County and the City of Richmond Hill. The planting of live oak trees on Georgia Arbor Day, is the Foundation’s major annual project. “Those young live oaks you see flourishing along Ford Avenue and U.S. Highway 17 are evidence of the tremendous support we’re received from the Georgia Urban Forestry Council and the local community,” said Carole Brogdon, treasurer of the Foundation.

Along with the plantings at Carver Elementary, Richmond Hill Elementary, Middle and High Schools, the Foundation is pleased to be a partner in developing a Master Plan with the Bryan County Board of Education. “School Board Vice-Chairman, Frances Meeks and Superintendent, Dr. Sallie Brewer have been very instrumental in our partnership with the schools and planning for the inclusion of Project Learning Tree into the curriculum at appropriate levels,” said Chris Flake, curriculum resource teacher for the schools.

On Earth Day 2005, the Foundation held its first annual “Root Ball”, a fabulous evening of dinner, dancing and a silent auction held outdoors under a canopy of live oaks overlooking the Bryan County coast at Kilkenny.

The GUFC Awards Program recognizes significant contributions to urban forestry in several categories.   Winners this year received a limited edition, framed print of one of the white oak trees in Dalton’s historic West Hill cemetery.  The original drawing of the tree was prepared especially for this year’s award program by artist Barry Nehr. 

Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation Root Ball! What an awesome evening!

More than 150 people gathered under the oaks on the bluff at Kilkenny Saturday evening, April 23, 2005. Gentle breezes and tiki torches kept the gnats away as guests gathered on the docks to view a full moon rising over St. Catherines Sound — Folks, it just doesn’t get and better than that!

The Courtenay Brothers entertained as guests arrived. Bruce Ford’s Magnolia Grill staff served wonderful hors’ dourves. (The crab cakes were a big hit). Then a huge buffet table was set by The Shrimp Docks at Kilkenny.  And if you missed Lonnie’s Key Lime Pie you truly missed one of life’s great pleasures.

The Silent Auction bidding continued until 8:15 p.m. There were many art items, jewelry, even oak trees that will be planted later by the Foundation.

Thanks to The Shrimp Docks at Kilkenny for a wonderful dinner. Thanks to Bruce Ford’s Magnolia Grill for hors’ dourves (a meal in itself). And a special thanks to Danny Bryant who provided the location and site work and a view from the bluff that you simply can’t buy!

Watch our video clip from the Root Ball.

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