THURSDAY | JUNE 24, 2021 | 5:30 PM | VIRTUAL EVENT

Thanks to everyone who joined us Thursday, June 24, for Planting Hope, Growing Resilience, a virtual celebration and fundraiser that explored the power of nature to sustain our communities, connect us more deeply, and illuminate what’s possible when we act together with hope.

This event kicked off Canopy’s 25th year digging in with Midpeninsula residents to grow healthy trees and healthy communities, and we’re excited to work with you for another 25 years!

Our Featured Speaker

Dr. Gretchen C. Daily, celebrated author, ecologist, global thought leader, and Stanford professor

Our Hosts

Laura Martinez, formerly East Palo Alto’s youngest serving and first Latina mayor

Bresy Pedraza-Perez, Canopy Teen Urban Forester alumna and East Palo Alto high school student

Also Featuring:

  • A guided exploration of our urban forests’ hidden treasures
  • Fund-a-need & local artwork giveaway by artist Patricia Larenas
  • Canopy planting site visits
  • And more!

Thank You to Our Event Donors!

Thanks to our generous sponsors and event donors, we not only met but exceeded the $75,000 Growing Resilience match challenge with a total of $86,000. This means that, together, we raised a grand total of over $160,000 to create communities where people and nature thrive. Thank you so much for your gifts and partnership!

Event Sponsors

Growing Resilience Match Funders

Morgan Family Foundation
Miranda Lux Foundation – supporting Canopy’s Teen Urban Forester
Susan Ellis and Mark Linton
Kammy Lo and Kowsik Guruswamy
Susan Rosenberg

Individual Event Donors

Guadalupe Aceves
Christine and Bryan Baker
Maggie Betsock
Janice Brody and Bruce Rule
John and Robin Carlson
Maria Chai and Vincent Hwang
Stephanie and Ishun B. Chang
Diana Chapman Walsh and Chris Walsh
Betsy Colby
Laura Martinez and Fernando Costa
Anne Warner Cribbs
Urban Cummings and Christine Clark
Mary and Christopher Dateo
Marty and Judy Deggeller
Matthieu Devin and Catherine Granger
Jean Doble
Nancy Drapkin
Barbara Fabbro
Susan Feist
Fred and Ira Fischer
Margarita Garcia Villa
Elizabeth Greenfield
Ross and Karen Heitkamp
Maika Horjus and Jim Puls
Pitch and Cathie Johnson
Arthur Keller
Rachel Knowles
Anne Kortlander
Patricia Larenas
Lisa Marcacci
Catherine and Pierre Martineau


Ash McNeely
Patricia Jo Morrissey and Carolyn Compton
Kirsten and Stephane Mouradian and Family
Debbie Mytels
Rebecca Neill
Laura and Craig Norris
Sally O’Neil and Ken Bencala
Lillian and Gabriel Oliveri
Carol and Steve Olson
Carrie Parker
Sandie and Don Pearson
Michelle and Marty Perry
Barbara Peters
Nancy Peterson
Jim and Alma Phillips
Sabine and Andre Rohe
Steve and Barbara Scott
Robert Sherrard
Susan Stansbury and Cédric de la Beaujardière
Doria Summa and Robert Phillips
Page and Kathy Thibodeaux
Sue Thiemann and Bill Faustman
Jakob Trconic
Bart and Nancy Westcott
Marcus Wood
Elliott and Rachel Wright
Lisa Yarbrough-Gauthier
Anonymous

Giving Opportunities

Support or sponsor the event and your gift will grow resilient, tree-filled communities.

Urban Forest Visionary – $25,000

Your gift at this visionary level provides support across Canopy’s three pillars of community action: tree planting, education, and advocacy

Tree Canopy Champion – $15,000

Support a year of Teen Urban Forester internships, equipping East Palo Alto high school students as environmental stewards and leaders

Neighborhood Nurturer – $10,000+

Fund “popcorn plantings,” bringing new trees to 6-10 households

Orchard Explorer – $5,000+

Fund a Great Oak Count Survey of native oaks for a full neighborhood

Grove Steward – $2,500+

Provide local students and teachers with a new nature-based distance learning lesson

Planting Partner – $1,000+

Fund two after school Junior Forester sessions for students to explore trees on their school campus

Oak Friend – $500+

Plant a tree in a challenging urban site where trees are needed the most

Maple Friend – $250+

Supply tools and materials for four outdoor classroom lessons or hands-on community workshops

Silver Linden – $125+

Provide a healthy tree for a school or neighborhood

Learn more about Giving Opportunities.

Learn about Business Sponsorships.

About the Event

Meet Our Featured Speaker, Dr. Gretchen C. Daily

Canopy is thrilled to welcome back Dr. Gretchen C. Daily,  celebrated ecologist, author, researcher, global thought leader, Stanford professor, and ardent nature lover. Daily is a longtime friend of Canopy and last spoke to our community in 2013, after the release of her book The Power of Trees, a moving collaboration with photographer Chuck Katz.

In 2005,  Daily co-founded the Stanford Natural Capital Project, a global partnership whose goal is to integrate the values of nature into planning, policy, finance, and management. Daily’s work is focused on understanding human dependence and impacts on nature and the deep societal transformations needed to secure people and nature. She has authored dozens of publications, including her 2018 book One Tree / Un árbol único, another partnership with Chuck Katz and tribute to the significant role a single tree can play in our lives and communities.

In her research, writing, and speaking, Daily inspires hope for healing human connections with nature, and protecting our planet’s most precious local and global resources.

Meet Our Event Hosts

Canopy is excited to bring you two dynamic local leaders to guide you through the evening’s festivities:

Laura Martinez is a lifelong community leader, advocate, and public servant. A longtime East Palo Alto resident, she became the first latina council member to serve the City and, in 2011, was elected the youngest serving and first Latina mayor in East Palo Alto’s history. Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal selected her as a “Top 100 Women of Influence” in 2012 and “40 Under 40” in 2015. Continuing her passion for youth and community engagement, Laura currently serves as the Assistant Director of Admission and Tuition Assistance at Castilleja School, and as the Vice Chair of Canopy’s Board of Directors.

Bresy Pedraza-Perez is a graduating senior at Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto. She has worked as a Canopy Teen Urban Forester since 2019, leading planting and tree care volunteers, gathering community input for urban greening projects, educating the public on the importance of trees, and more. Whether teaching Canopy’s Junior Foresters or playing with her own young siblings, Bresy has a passion for mentoring children and giving back to her community. This summer, she’ll be an intern at a Stanford virology lab.

Growing Resilience Match Challenge

In honor of Canopy’s 25th year, generous foundation and individual funders have come together to create the Growing Resilience Match Challenge. These supporters are DOUBLING every event donation up to $75,000, making your gift for community trees go twice as far.

Get your gift doubled today. Thank you for your support!

Profound thanks to our match challenge funders:

  • Morgan Family Foundation
  • Miranda Lux Foundation – supporting Canopy’s Teen Urban Forester
  • Susan Ellis and Mark Linton
  • Kammy Lo and Kowsik Guruswamy
  • Susan Rosenberg

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