St. Paul city employees help plant trees at church in Rondo neighborhood

City and county employees joined community volunteers Monday to plant trees at Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood, helping transform an open grassy area into a greener gathering space.

The effort brought together the city's Growing Green Employee Resource Network, the nonprofit Human Nature and members of the church congregation.

For St. Paul firefighter Eric Morcos, who had just finished a 24-hour shift, the opportunity to give back was worth sacrificing some rest.

"I just got done with the 24-hour shift, so I'm running on empty right now, but you know I think it's important to show up for these things," Morcos said.

Morcos, who has lived in St. Paul for most of his life, said he hopes the trees will eventually provide a comfortable place for families to gather.

"It's great because this church uses this land and in 20 years they'll have some nice shade for kids to play under," he said.

The planting was organized in part through St. Paul's Growing Green Employee Resource Network, a relatively new group that brings city employees together through a shared interest in sustainability.

Bridget Kranz, a content specialist with the city, said the network has previously organized educational events, including an Earth Day panel and tours of recycling facilities.

Monday's planting marked the group's first community partnership.

"It's a great way to connect with colleagues who we might not work with every day," Kranz said.

Human Nature helped coordinate the project and provided volunteers with guidance on proper planting techniques, including root placement, watering and mulching.

For Dr. Darlene Fry, a parishioner at Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church, the new trees represent an investment in the congregation's future.

The church, which Fry said is Minnesota's only predominantly African American United Methodist congregation, has a history spanning 106 years.

Its current property includes a large grassy area used for outdoor gatherings, but limited tree coverage means the church often needs to rent tents to provide shade.

"We own this plot of land, but you can see it's sparse with trees, and we know that we want our kids to have a space that in 30 years, it's shaded, it has a cooling effect, and we don't have that heat island here," Fry said.

Fry helped connect the church with Human Nature after previously working with the organization through the Black Youth Healing Arts Center.

She said the congregation would not have been able to afford the trees or organize the planting on its own.

"For us, we wouldn't be able to do this as a church. We wouldn't be able afford the trees, we won't be afford the time to plant them, and we don't have the expertise," Fry said.

Beyond improving the landscape, the project also gave employees from different government departments an opportunity to work together outside their usual roles.

For Morcos, the effort reflects a simple philosophy about community involvement.

"You kind of get, get what you put into your neighborhood," he said.

And while the trees may take decades to reach their full potential, the volunteers hope their impact will be felt long after Monday's planting.