Urban Releaf ED Kemba Shakur was recently featured on NBCBayArea’s “Bay Area Proud” community affairs program . Reporter Garvin Thomas interviewed Shakur at the Urban Releaf office in North Oakland and joined the UR team for our recent Earth Day Tree-plantings in Fruitvale and East Oakland. “When the subject is trees in the city of

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 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

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

The city of Oakland has a tree canopy of just 12% — far short of the 40% mandate required by the State of California by 2020, under AB 32. So why, then, is it cutting down perfectly good, adult trees? In 2003, Urban Releaf planted 36 purple leaf plum, evergreen pear, and aristocrat pear trees

Recently, Urban Releaf Executive Director and founder Kemba Shakur was honored as a Sole of the Year by Barefoot Wines. As part of the celebration, Kemba, UR staff, and friends toured the Gallo winery and attended a meet ‘n’ greet at the employee store in Modesto, led by Barefoot execs Randy “love bunny” Arnold and

For Immediate Release – February 1, 2013 (Oakland CA) Urban Releaf founder and Executive Director Kemba Shakur was named as one of 2013 Barefoot “Soles of the Year” by Barefoot Wine. Shakur’s face and story will be featured on limited edition bottles of Barefoot Impression Red Blend, a newly-launched wine which upholds Barefoot’s commitment to