Green Teens Start Tree-Planting Initiative in Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The cold weather was no match for some Tulsa teenagers working to improve the environment.

They're part of a group called GreenTree Tulsa and they've been a tremendous help to the Tulsa Housing Authority.

The boys are hoping to make a difference, one tree at a time.

Connor Cass, David Graybill and Austin Edwards are your typical 15-year-olds, but with a busy schedule of planting trees throughout the community.

"When the ice storm happened in 2007, Tulsa lost 20,000 trees and so," said GreenTree Member Connor Cass."This is just one of those things we can do to reduce the impact of the ice storm."

The trees they are planting are part of the 2,000 they've planted over the last two years. They're trying to win a national competition that encourages young people to improve the environment.

"It's kind of cool knowing there's over 2,000 trees in Tulsa that we've helped put in the ground. It's kind of a good feeling," Cass said.

This year, they got a grant for 300 trees with the help of Up With Trees. They've already planted them all, mostly at Housing Authority complexes, like Riverview Park.

"If you plant 200 trees, they suck up enough C02 that throughout a year it can fill up an entire football stadium worth," said GreenTree Member David Graybill.

A spokeswoman for the Housing Authority says the trees are a wonderful gift and one they could not afford.

Their budget is fully devoted to housing and continued maintenance, so there's no money for landscaping.

"It's not that hard to do and it's easy for one person to make a big difference," said Green Tree Member Austin Edwards.

GreenTree of Tulsa has planted 1,000 trees each of the last two years. They want to plant 1,500 trees next year and keep increasing the goal as much as they can each year.