Kate Sessions Commitment (KSC) was formed in early 2019 to increase investments in “healthy trees for healthy neighborhoods, inspired by Kate Sessions’ tree planting in exchange for using City (now Balboa) Park land for a nursery. Our mission became embedded in the logo: Canopy. Community. Climate Action.
Since then, KSC has evolved as a movement and advocacy group with these accomplishments and others:
- Worked with retail and wholesale nurseries to stock quality, locally-suitable 5-gallon trees, and with organizations to invite members to grow trees in front- and back-yards
- Distributed 150 trees to those who couldn’t afford trees, from donations to KSC
- Set up and maintained website https://katestrees.org/, Instagram #katestrees and Facebook page
- Supported career experiences for ten college seniors at SDSU and CSU-San Marcos that majored in geography, environmental studies, sustainability, or urban planning
- Participated in local council meetings to offer comments on Climate Action plans, implementation, budgets, tree planting and care, and tree protection
- Participation in climate action, climate equity, urban forestry, and other local groups
- Collaborated with SD350.org, Citizens Climate Lobby, Sierra Club, Water Conservation Garden, Interfaith Climate Environmental Justice, and other local organizations
- Coordinated with Professional Tree Care Association (SD-based), SD Regional Urban Forests Council, Tree San Diego, City of San Diego’s Promise Zone and Equity Stakeholder groups
- Applied ideas from CityPlants (Los Angeles), California Urban Forests, TreePeople, and others