On Saturday, April 20, Urban Releaf celebrated Earth Day with two tree-planting events in two locations: Cesar Chavez Park and Tassafaronga Rec Center. The Cesar Chavez Park event was put together by Unity Council and District 5 Councilmember Noel Gallo, and included volunteers from Kaiser Permanente, Dawoodi Bohra Muslims from Fremont, and neighborhood residents. The

Urban Releaf founder and Executive Director Kemba Shakur has been honored with the prestigious Morton Award for 2013, the highest honor of the Arbor Day Foundation. The Nebraska-based organization noted Shakur’s “outstanding contribution to tree planting, conservation, and stewardship.” In winning the Morton Award, Shakur joins an elite group of arborists and conservationists including Nobel

Urban Releaf celebrates Earth Day with not one but two tree-planting events on April 20: We will be teaming with the Unity Council AND District 5 City Councilmember Noel Gallo for their Earth Day celebration at Cesar Chavez Park in Oakland’s Fruitvale District, as well as with Communities For a Better Environment, HOPE Collaborative, Acta

Urban Releaf Executive Director and Founder Kemba Shakur was recently featured on KTVU’s weekly public affairs program, “Bay Area People.” hosted by Rosy Chu. Chu notes that Shakur has been “nationally recognized as a woman at the forefront of urban forestry” and asks Shakur why she decided to make it her life’s mission to plant

With 2013 being Urban Releaf’s 15th Anniversary, we thought it would be appropriate to take a look back at some of our most valuable work: tree-planting efforts in Oakland schools. Over the years, Urban Releaf has worked with former state Senator Perata’s office, the Oakland school board, and CAL-FIRE on projects in numerous schools and

On March 16, the Urban Releaf crew teamed with about 75 volunteers from Americorps to plant 10 live oak trees at a location on 85th Avenue and San Leandro St., a heavily-vehicle-trafficked, industrial area which is also adjacent to a BART line and railroad tracks, which is almost practically bereft of a tree canopy. In