[Press Conference: "EPA Grant to Fight Illegal Dumping in 5th Ward"]
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UM, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT TO THIS EVENT.
YOU'RE GONNA HEAR MORE ABOUT IT FROM THESE, UH, GROUP OF, OF SPEAKERS AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY WANNA THANK THE VOLUNTEERS AND ALL THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE COME OUT TODAY.
YOU'RE GONNA HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT FIRST WE'RE GONNA HEAR, UM, FROM, UH, MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER WHO CAME, UM, TO HELP US WITH THIS KICKOFF OF THIS THREE YEAR SERIES.
AND, UM, UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO MAKE THIS, UH, COMMUNITY VULNER, UH, FROM VULNERABLE TO VIBRANT.
I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL THE SPONSORS.
I COULD SPEND MY ALLOTTED TIME THANKING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF COLLABORATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
ACTUALLY THE EPA IS SPONSORING THE COST, UH, THE WILDERNESS HOUSTON, CERTAINLY SHORTNESS LEAD CHART AND THE LINEUP OF DIRECTORS BEHIND ME.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS, COUNCIL PERSON PIA JOHNSON.
MY MESSAGE IS VERY BRIEF THIS MORNING.
BEING OUT HERE TODAY OUGHT TO FIRE US UP.
IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE DONE IF YOU DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHO GETS CREDIT FOR IT.
SOMEBODY TOLD ME THE MAYOR'S NAME'S NOT ON THIS BOARD.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT IS EVERYONE THAT CAN HEAR MY VOICE WILL LEAVE HERE FIRED UP, DETERMINED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER TODAY.
THE TREES, CLEAN AIR, THIS BEAUTIFUL PARK, BUT WE CAN DO SO MUCH MORE.
I GOT HERE EARLY AND DROVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO LIVE LIKE OUR NEIGHBORS AT LORA STREET AND JENSEN CROSS JENSEN AND KEEP GOING ON LOW RAIN OR GO ALMOST IN ANY DIRECTION.
AND WE'RE IN THE SHADOWS OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
LET HOUSTON KNOW WHAT GOES ON IN FIFTH WARD.
WHETHER IT'S HEALTHCARE PARKS, CLEAN AIR, PUBLIC SAFETY, I READ FOR ONE REASON TO FIX HOUSTON.
WAY TOO MANY YEARS OF NEGLECT, NOT JUST THE LAST EIGHT DECADES.
IN 1972 AS A U OF H STUDENT, I WORKED IN THE FOOD STAMP OFFICE WORKING MY WAY THROUGH U OF HI DID HOME VISITS DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR FOOD STAMPS.
IT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE SHAPING AND MOLDING OF ME THAT GOT ME TO RUN FOR STATE REP AT THE AGE OF 22.
GUESS WHAT? DAMN LITTLE HAS CHANGED EXCEPT THE COMING TOGETHER THIS MORNING WITH THIS PROJECT THAT CAN BE MODELED, TAKEN ACROSS IT.
I'M FRUSTRATED THAT AS WE HAVE SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE.
YEAH, THERE ARE STILL SO MANY NEEDS.
SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE.
WE'RE GONNA SAY WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE THIS MORNING TREES COMING TOGETHER, A NICE PARK AND HELL, LET'S GO TO WORK WHEN WE LEAVE HERE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE HIM COMING OUT TO CELEBRATE THIS.
JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME OF THE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
UH, THIS DIDN'T JUST START TODAY, THIS STARTED A LONG TIME AGO.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE FIFTH WARD AND CASHMERE GARDENS COMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS LONG TERM ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESILIENCY CONCERNS.
I CAN REMEMBER US ACTUALLY SITTING IN THE, THE FRONT YARD OF A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORS, UH, UNDERSTANDING THE CONCERNS THAT THEY HAD.
THE EPA GRANTS THAT WE ARE GONNA GET DIRECTLY IS RESPONS RESPONSIVE TO SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED IN SOME OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE.
WHAT WE'RE DOING FOLKS, IS REALLY TACKLING ISSUES RELATED TO, UH, UH, EXTREME WEATHER IMPACTS POLLUTION, AND Y'ALL KNOW VERY WELL ILLEGAL DUMPING THE TREES AND TRASH INITIATIVES WILL RESULT IN PLANTING A THOUSAND CLIMATE RESISTANT TREES AND CONDUCT LARGE SCALE TRASH CLEANUPS TO BEAUTIFY AND FORTIFY THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE ARE BE BEGINNING THAT TODAY.
IN, IN THAT GRANT WE LOOKED AT
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FREE SOLAR JOB TRAINING AND PAID INTERNSHIPS, WHICH WILL EMPOWER RESIDENTS, UH, WITH WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES.THIS IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIVE TO ISSUES THAT WE FOUND AROUND THE UPA, THE, THE UNION PACIFIC SITE.
ADDITIONAL EFFORTS WILL INCLUDE FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS, POLLUTION MONITORING, FRUIT TREE DISTRIBU DISTRIBUTION TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SIGNS AROUND, YOU'LL SEE THAT ALTHOUGH WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE THE RESULTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, THERE ARE SOME THINGS, SOME REAL PRACTICAL THINGS THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS IN SUNNYSIDE LAST WEEK AND WE WERE LOOKING AT ACTUALLY REPLACING SOME OF THE GRASS BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN GRASSES THAT ACTUALLY HELP WITH AIR POLLUTION.
AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT HOW WE CAN DO THAT AS A HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND SOME OF THE TRAINING PROGRAMS WILL HELP OUR RESIDENTS NAVIGATE POLLUTION ALERTS AND ADVOCATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, WHICH WE KNOW HAS BEEN WITH US FOR A LONG TIME.
THESE INITIATIVES NEED TO BE COMMUNITY DRIVEN, ENSURING ALIGNMENT WITH LOCAL NEEDS AND, AND LONG TERM IMPACTS.
COLLABORATION, AS THE MAYOR SAID, IS REALLY KEY TO THIS.
IF THIS EFFORT SUCCEEDS, IT WOULD BE BE BECAUSE WE HAVE DEDICATED PARTNERS, VOLUNTEERS THAT WILL REALLY, UH, CREATE, UH, INITIATIVES THAT WILL BE RESULT IN LONGSTANDING CHANGE.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE SOME SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN KEY PARTNERS WITH THIS.
FIRST IS BLACK UNITED FUND OF TEXAS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY LEAD ON ONE OF THE EPA GRANTS.
UH, AND ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THEY HAVE IS CONNECTING THE CITY TO VOICES, UH, OF COMMUNITY RE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE HERE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE RESULTS OF SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
AND OF COURSE, YOU SEE ALL THESE TREES AROUND HOUSTON.
YES, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE IN CONDUCTING TREE PLANTING EVENTS AND FOR SUPPLYING THE TREES THAT ARE BEING PLANTED.
UH, HERE TODAY, I CAN'T NAME ALL THE PARTNERS HERE, BUT IF YOU'RE ON THIS BOARD OR IF WE MISSED YOU, THE BOARD BEHIND THE COUNCIL MEMBER
AND PLEASE GIVE YOURSELVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T REALLY ENGAGE THE GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY ALONG WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS, THIS CHANGE WILL NOT BE LONG LASTING.
SO WHAT I'M ENCOURAGING IS THAT WE REALLY COME TOGETHER, CREATE A COALITION TO REALLY FIGHT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND REALLY CLEAN UP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
I'M CLEO GLENN JOHNSON MCLAUGHLIN AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF BLACK UNITED FUND OF TEXAS.
FOR THE LAST 38 YEARS, OUR WORK HAS IN BEEN INVOLVED IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TRYING TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES.
SEE, OFTENTIMES COMMUNITIES AS SUCH AS THIS, WILL LOOK FOR SERVICES.
THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT CRIPPLES THE COMMUNITY.
AND COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY, WE DON'T NEED SERVICES, WE NEED OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO WITH THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING, UH, THROUGH THE GRANT, WE'LL BE TRAINING YOUNG PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES BY BECOMING SOLAR AND ELECTRICAL INSTALLERS.
WE ARE ACTUALLY HELPING TO WORK WITH THE VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS ALONG WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS.
IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE CHANGE.
WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THE FACT THAT THIS RESPONSIBILITY DOES NOT LIE JUST WITH THE GOVERNMENT.
AND IT DOES NOT LIE JUST WITH CITY HALL.
I AM FROM FIFTH WARD AND I AM DISGUSTED THAT FIFTH WARD DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THE FIFTH WARD I GREW UP IN.
AND SO I WANT THIS TO CHANGE AND TRUST ME AT MY AGE, AND I'M GONNA TELL Y'ALL I'M GOING ON 79.
SO YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME, BUT WHATEVER TIME I GOT, WE ARE GONNA WORK TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING OUT.
SEE YOU BECAUSE IT ALL HAPPENS WITH EACH OF US.
WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ECONOMIC POSSIBILITIES, YOU'RE LOOKING AT CLEANING UP THE COMMUNITY, ELIMINATING THE HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH.
THE HEALTH PROBLEMS OUT HERE IS NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THAT TRAIN BACK THERE, BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF THE FILTH ON THE GROUND.
THAT, THAT WE INHALED THAT, THAT WE BREATHE, THAT THAT GETS INTO OUR CHILDREN.
WE'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO OUR OWN DETRIMENT WHEN WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WITH THAT, I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND YOU'VE GOT TO BE THE MAIN PARTICIPANT, NOT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
NOT UH, EPA, BUT WE HAVE ALL GOT TO GET INVOLVED.
THANK YOU FOR SO MUCH AND WE WANNA HEAR FROM YOU BLACK AND IN FRONT OF TEXAS.
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GOOD MORNING.I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE WARM AND IT IS.
WE ARE IN WINTER, BUT WE NEED TREES PLANTED TO SHADE US FROM THIS SUN.
I'M KATHY BLUFORD DANIELS AND I AM A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF FIFTH WARD.
WHEN THEY CONTACTED ME, I WANTED TO COME AND REPRESENT THE PEOPLE AND THE RESIDENTS OF FIFTH WARD.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TREES NOT TRASH, THEY THINK THAT WE DON'T CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO, BUT IT'S A LOT THAT ALL OF US CAN DO.
AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TREES AND NOT TRASH TREES, BARRICADE, THE WIND, THE SUN, UH, STORMS, ET CETERA, ENERGY EFFICIENT, THEY COOL OUR HOUSES DOWN.
NOT TO MENTION THAT THEY ATE IN OUR AIR, IN AIR POLLUTION IN DENVER CAR, COLORADO.
AND THEY HAVE A PROGRAM THAT WHEN PEOPLE WALK BY AND IF THEY SHOULD SEE SOME TRASH, THEY'RE TRAINED OR THEY HAVE THE MINDSET TO PICK IT UP AND PUT IT IN A RECEPTACLE.
THEY HAVE TRASH RECEPTACLES EVERYWHERE.
I, 'CAUSE I SAW SOMEBODY ELSE DROP SOME, SOME SMALL PIECES OF PAPER AND SOMEBODY COMING ALONG PICKED IT UP.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE ALL HAVE TO ENGAGE IN.
AND AS I LOOK AROUND, AND LIKE I SAID, I'M FROM THIS AREA 67 YEARS AND I SEE MY BROTHER JOE BALLARD OUT THERE WHO ACTUALLY WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THIS PLAYGROUND CHANGED THAT WAS FULL OF GLASS SO OUR CHILDREN COULD, UH, COME OVER HERE AND PLAY THINGS THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY LOOK FOR.
I SAW KELVIN, THE URBAN FARMER, I THINK HE'S AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE.
HE'S CLENCHING GARDENS ALL OVER FIFTH WARD.
UM, SO OUR COMMUNITIES MUST WORK TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY AND COLLABORATIVELY.
AND OUR COMMITMENT IS TREES NOT TRASH.
A IS FOR ALL OF US, INCLUDING EVERYONE.
M IS MAINTAINING MEANINGFUL AND HEALTHFUL RELATIONSHIPS.
AND WE KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
AND SO WE SPEARHEADED LOOKING AT THAT BECAUSE WE LIVE HERE AND, AND AND HAVE PLAYED HERE.
AND I'LL ADD ONE MORE THING FOR THE M THE M BEING MAYOR, IF WE'RE NOT WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM, YOU ARE GONNA HEAR FROM ME.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING US.
YOU GOT ME NEXT UP WITH SOMEBODY ELSE.
UH, I THOUGHT MS. LAUREN, I THOUGHT THE M WAS FOR MARK HAWK.
MY NAME IS MARK HAWK AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF, UH, SERVING CITY OF HOUSTON AS THE SOLID WASTE DIRECTOR.
AND, AND I CALL IT, YOU ALL MAY SAY, WELL, THIS GUY'S CRAZY.
WHY IS HE CALLING IT A PRIVILEGE? BECAUSE I GET A, I GET A CHANCE FIRSTHAND TO SEE THE IMPACT OF, UH, WHAT WE DO AND OUR PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITY WHEN OUR SERVICES ARE RUNNING.
UH, I BROUGHT THESE GENTLEMEN UP HERE BECAUSE YOU ALL MAY GIVE CREDIT TO ME, BUT ALWAYS LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO TRULY GET THINGS DONE.
SO AFTER THIS GATHERING, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR AND I WERE TALKING EARLIER AND, AND HE SAID, AFTER WE LEAVE HERE, THE REAL WORK BEGINS.
SO THESE GENTLEMEN ARE DEFINITELY GONNA SPEARHEAD OUR EFFORTS IN, IN, UH, LEADING AND GETTING THE REAL WORK DONE TODAY.
SO WE'VE ALL GOT OUR ASSIGNMENTS AND JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT WE'RE PRIVILEGED TO BE HERE.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US.
UH, SORT OF LIKE THE TRUCKS THAT YOU SEE BEHIND US THAT ARE GOING TO WORK.
THE MORE OF THESE THAT WE GET OUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES, THE CLEANER OUR COMMUNITIES WILL REMAIN.
SO, UM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY MUCH LONGER BECAUSE MS. JOHNSON AND SOME OF THESE OTHER HEAVY HITTERS HAVE ALREADY STOLE MY THUNDER.
BUT THE MAIN COMPONENT IS YOU WE'RE GONNA PUT FORTH OUR BEST EFFORT EVERY DAY, ALWAYS.
BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED SUPPORT OF YOU AND THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE HERE FOR YOU.
I'M COUNCIL MEMBER TASHA JACKSON AND I REPRESENT THIS BEAUTIFUL DISTRICT, DISTRICT B AND THE HISTORICAL FIFTH WARD.
AND JUST SEEING ALL YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACES OUT HERE AND SPEAK VOLUMES OF THE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THE COMMITMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES CLEAN.
AND SO, UM, AND I'M NOT GONNA, I'M GONNA ECHO WHAT UM, EVERYONE SAID.
MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND EVERYONE WHO HAVE LIKE GOT INVOLVED IN THIS EFFORT.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR HOT TEAM AS WE TALKING ABOUT HOT TEAMS. YOU KNOW, DISTRICT B IS OUT HERE CLEANING UP EVERY DAY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE ARE, UM, PARTNERING WITH CIVIC CLUBS AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS TO DO CLEANUPS.
I KNOW WE GOT SOME, SOME OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS OUT HERE, BUT OUR HOT TEAM, IF YOU EVER SEE ILLEGAL DUMPING, IF YOU EVER SEE
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SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN PICK UP, PLEASE REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9.UM, WE LY SOME OTHER ONES OUT HERE, CYNTHIA BAILEY, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING REALLY DILIGENTLY WITH OUR OFFICE TO MAKE SURE DISTRICT B REMAIN CLEAN.
AND AS, AS THEY SAID BEFORE ME, IT TAKES ALL OF US.
IT TAKE, IT SHOULD BE A PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY.
AND I CAN SAY DISTRICT B, YOU GUYS HANDLE YOUR BUSINESS.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY YOU DON'T DO WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
YOU OUT HERE, YOU'RE CLEANING UP.
BUT AS SOON AS WE CLEAN IT UP, IT'S RIGHT BACK DOWN.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE AS COMMUNITY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD THESE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE WHO ARE TRASHING UP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY DUMPING TRASH, REPORT IT, TAKE A PICTURE OF 'EM.
POLICE LIKE DON'T, I WOULD SAY CHASE AFTER THEM GET A PICTURE OF THEY LICENSE PLATE BECAUSE THIS IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THIS IS LIKE, THAT'S DAMAGING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY.
SO WITH LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ALL THE PARTNERS, DOCTOR FOR EVERYTHING, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DOING.
AND TOGETHER WE ARE GONNA MAKE SOME CLEAN, SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE TREES, YOU KNOW, THE TREES ARE DEAD.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES OUT HERE BECAUSE OF THIS PARTNERSHIP.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCIL AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS.
AND TO, I MARRIED TO ALL OF US.
LET ME TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN SO MANY PARTS OF THIS CITY.
THIRD WARD, FIFTH WARD, PLEASANTVILLE, SUNNYSIDE, SOUTH PARK, ALL OVER THE CITY.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, I'M A WORKER.
I'M GONNA SHOW UP IN ORDER TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD.
WHEN, WHEN SISTER JOHNSON CALLED AND NOTIFIED US AND WHEN WE WERE NOTIFIED, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US IN OUR COMMUNITY TO GET INVOLVED.
AND LEMME TELL YOU, WE CAN'T GO TO WORK SOMETIME.
WE GOTTA GO TO WORK ALL THE TIME.
WE ARE ALL IN THE POSITION TO DO IT AND WE GOTTA DO IT.
BUT I LEAVE HERE AND I'VE SAID TO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON ON MANY TIMES, WE TALK BACK AND FORTH.
I'M THERE TO SUPPORT EVERY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DO AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.
BUT IT TAKES THE EFFORT OF EVERYBODY TO PUT OUR HAND INVOLVED IN IT.
LET'S PLANT THE TREES, LET'S GET IT DONE.
AND LIKE I MAY OFTEN SAY, LET'S GO TO WORK.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT FOR THE, UM, REMARKS.
UM, NOW I, WE'RE GONNA START PLANTING TREES.