What's Your Tree

5.21.2008

Joining a Group

A lot of people have been emailing us to ask how to start a group in their area, or how to join a group that is already running.

Our Philadelphia group is still open as of 5/21/08. Please contact us at info at whatsyourtree.org if you are interested in this group.

All of our other groups have already started for the Spring.

If you would like to be part of a Fall group, please be sure to sign up on our email list so that you receive announcements about the new groups.

Engage Network Featured in Huffington Post Today

Small is the New Big, Huffington Post article from 5/21/08.

4.30.2008

We're Featured in a Cover Story from the Latest Organic Style Magazine

Click Here to Check it Out!

3.02.2008

Spring 2008 Groups

Our Spring Groups will begin in early April, 2008.

The locations are:

San Francisco, CA
Berkeley, CA
East Bay, CA
Marin, CA
Santa Cruz, CA
Philadelphia, PA
Denton, TX
Flower Mound, TX
Irving, TX
Austin, TX

If you are interested in participating in one of the Spring, 2008 locations, please contact us at info@whatsyourtree.org.

2.07.2008

What's Your Tree National Group Leaders Meeting

From January 25-27th, our Beta Test group leaders came together in Denton Texas to share about their experiences leading the first What's Your Tree groups.

The group included Melanie from Philadelphia; Jodi from Durham, NC; Wini from Austin, TX; Chris, Annie and Alicia from Denton, TX; and Alissa from The Bay Area.

During the course of the weekend, group leaders rolled up their sleeves and provided great assessments to the program, as well as enhancement ideas for the future.

On the 26th, the Denton What's Your Tree community created a fundraiser for Cardo's Farm, a local organic farm that tragically had a fire in late November. They promoted the farm during the very busy, very fun Customer Appreciation Day at the Cupboard, the local health food store in Denton. The team of 8 handed out wheatgrass shots made from wheatgrass grown at Cardo's, raising about $150 in the process.

That night, about 50 or 60 What's Your Tree past and present participants came together for a potluck dinner where they presented the owners of Cardos with the money and all of their love and support for rebuilding. The local What's Your Tree groups are continuing to help out at the farm, raising awareness, money and digging in the dirt.

The next day, Sunday, the national group leaders were joined by 4 new group leaders who are all starting groups in Denton in the spring. Their energy was infectious and inspiring to all of us. Together we planned for the future and created a structure for group leaders to mentor and support one another.

This community gets richer and more inspiring every day.

1.14.2008

What's Your Tree - in the Media

Yoga + Joyful Living recently printed a cover story about What's Your Tree and our sister program, Off the Mat, Into the World.

www.himalayaninstitute.org/yogaplus/Article.aspx?id=2332

12.13.2007

What's Your Tree Newsletter Mailing List

To sign up for the What's Your Tree Newsletter, please click on the link below.

http://www.mailermailer.com/x?oid=1005365n

This is the best way to get updates on the program and connect with us as we grow.

Thanks for your interest!!

11.06.2007

What's Your Tree Background

What’s Your Tree is a program inspired by the story and message of Julia Butterfly Hill.

Julia Butterfly Hill gained international notoriety when she climbed 200 feet up into an ancient redwood tree named Luna that was slated to be cut down by Pacific Lumber/Maxaam Corporation. She refused to come down until Luna was permanently protected. Withstanding death threats and gale force El Nino winds, Julia lived on a tiny platform in Luna's branches for 738 days. Julia and her team had successfully negotiated to save Luna and a 3 acre buffer zone around the tree into perpetuity.

Julia's brave and inspiring action brought international attention to the plight of our dwindling ancient redwoods. For many years after she returned to the ground, Julia toured the world speaking abour her experience in the media and to audiences large and small and about the many lessons she learned.

One of the primary lessons Julia speaks about is the disease of "celebretitis," when we look to celebrities or other public figures as all-knowing and all-important. Julia's primary message all along has been to take the spotlight that has shined on her for many years, and turn it back to each one of us. We are all Julia Butterflys, Gandhis, Martin Luther Kings, Mother Theresas. We all have the potential and power to become great leaders, to serve with our hearts, and to change the world.

The What's Your Tree program uses this message and folds it into a 7 week curriculum for small groups. It uses the writings and message of Julia Butterfly Hill as a way to find our own inner calling that is more powerful than we know ourselves to be. This is what we call "finding your tree."

What's Your Tree was developed out of a year-long inquiry sparked by a major motion picture based on Julia's story. This film, LUNA, is scheduled to start shooting in 2008. The possibility of a major media event like a film had us ask "What is it that takes someone from inspiration into action over the long haul?" When someone is inspired by a film, what would keep them involved and active in the world? The answer to that question became the foundation for the Engage Network, a new nonprofit organization that Julia's team birthed. (See below for details about the Engage Network.)

What's Your Tree was developed for people who are inspired by Julia’s story. It provides a way for people to “find their own tree” and build small groups and social networks in their community at the same time. When the LUNA film is released widely, we are using What's Your Tree as a way to allow inspired movie viewers to take steps towards long term engagement in their communities and in the world.

The Engage Network

The universe is but one great city, full of beloved ones, divine and human by nature, endeared to each other. Epictetus (c. 50 - 120)

What’s Your Tree is a program that was founded by of Julia Butterfly Hill’s nonprofit organization, Circle of Life.

What’s Your Tree is also powered by The Engage Network, a new nonprofit organization that is a collaboration of Circle of Life and several other social and environmental change organizations and networks.

The Engage Network is working to create a world where people are part of strong and vibrant communities, have a personal sense of purpose, and are having fun while making a difference. It operates through small purpose-driven groups of people taking action together in their communities.

The Engage Network also plans to link these small groups and support groups in creating more groups. This is much like the way a starfish works in nature. If a starfish loses its arm, it often grows a new one. In some breeds of starfish, the lost leg even grows a whole new starfish! It is a de-centralized system where everyone shares power.

We want you to know that people in the What's Your Tree Program are a part of this larger network of people who have a dream of a better world based in environmental and social justice, peace and sustainability.

For those of you who want to read more of our core thinking behind the Engage Network, check out these books:

The Starfish and the Spider, Ori Brafman (on the Engage Network leadership team) and Rod Beckstrom. www.starfishandspider.com
Blessed Unrest, Paul Hawken. www.blessedunrest.com

11.05.2007

Philosophy of the Engage Network

What's Your Tree is part of a nonprofit organization called The Engage Network.

The core organizing principles behind the Engage Network are:

 PURPOSE
Purpose is deeply knowing who you are and sharing your story. Each person has a
chance to share their story and to find their inner purpose.

 CONTEMPLATION
We want everyone to have a sense of inner and outer balance. To do this, our programs
help people to find a practice that will help them to achieve more peace and more love.

 COMMUNITY
We are better together, particularly in small groups who met in person.

 FUN
When we find joy with each other, life seems to work better.

 SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
We take on projects that make a difference in the world. We do this is a sustainable
manner.

 GROW MORE GROUPS
Using the old civil rights organizing philosophy: “Each one reach one, each one teach one, each one pull one into the sun,” we encourage each small group to find a way to reach out and start other groups. Part of the way we do this is to offer more advanced trainings in leadership and network building. To grow circles, we need your ideas!

The What's Your Tree Curriculum

Our curriculum was developed to be used in small "living room" groups of 4-12 people. It is a series of stories, exercises and concepts that are spread out over 7 weeks. Group leaders do not have any special training- they are people who are inspired by Julia's story, enthusiastic and committed to group participants getting their own purpose and power.

Right now, the curriculum is still being beta tested and revised. Our goal is to have small groups meeting all over the U.S. and all over the world. These groups will be interconnected to one another, working together on projects and initiatives that benefit our planet.

Denton Texas What's Your Tree Program

We are very proud of the location where we chose to begin testing What's Your Tree. The inspiring participants and leaders in Denton Texas want to share their thoughts about the program. See the comments on this posting to learn more about the people behind the Denton Texas What's Your Tree program!

The photo is a picture of the growing seeds of intention that our Denton Group planted during a seed planting ceremony in the 2nd week of the program.

Launching New Program Sites

In Spring, 2008 we hope to launch at least 2 new program sites. A program site, or region, will typically start with one group that grows into many groups in a region over time. Our goal is to have a network of small groups in each region, which are connected to similar networks all over the world. These small groups will be supporting one another in taking action that forwards environmental sustainability, social justice, peace and spiritual fulfillment.

Each new program site costs about $50,000 to seed and nurture over the first year. We have a commitment that each of the circles be financially self-supporting after the second year. Our development costs includes creating earned income strategies for local communities so that the program can continue into perpetuity.

To launch a new site, we need to raise the proper funding to ensure the groups have what they need to be successful. If you are interested in fundraising to bring What's Your Tree to your area, or interested in making a gift to support What's Your Tree, please let us know by emailing info@whatsyourtree.org.

10.17.2007

What's Your Tree in Julia's Words

Julia talking about "What's Your Tree" while working with the South Central Farmers in South Central Los Angeles, Summer, 2006.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDrb03cqvrA&feature=related