NORDSON GREEN EARTH FOUNDATION
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Mission Statement
Nordson Green Earth Foundation strives to improve tree equity by establishing tiny native forests in the Chicagoland area--because all communities deserve trees and the health, climate and social benefits they provide.
About This Cause
Nordson Green Earth Foundation, founded in the Spring of 2021, was started in an effort to mitigate climate change and improve the health of underserved communities through the planting of forests. NGEF came together organically when a group of deeply engaged women began talking about the obstacles they confront in their careers and their communities. At the center of these conversations was NGEF Founder and CEO, Christine Diploma. Christine recognized that, although the challenges being discussed in the areas of climate change, health equity and social justice were seemingly unrelated and felt insurmountable, they actually had one point of intersection with the potential to make real inroads for change. Inspired by the work of her uncle, attorney Nordson (Nordy) Diploma, who returned an old sugar plantation in Occidental Negros, Philippines to its original thick, forested state, Christine recognized that the same could be done in Chicagoland. So she recruited the team and together we established the Nordson Green Earth Foundation with the aim to improve tree-equity by establishing tiny native forests in and around Chicagoland. Why trees? Exposure to trees and nature improves our health and well-being in many ways, but too often, maps of tree canopy are maps of socioeconomic status. Environmental inequities like this render certain communities more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than others. Native plants can additionally enhance ecosystems by supporting soil health and pollinators. By planting tiny, native forests in communities historically deprived of tree canopy, Nordson simultaneously tackles inequities in climate change, health equity and social justice at their roots. Nordson Green Earth Foundation is guided by three truths. 1) Our climate is impactable. 2) Physical and mental health is directly impacted by the environments in which we reside. 3) Tree-equity is an overlooked component of racial injustice in Chicagoland. At Nordson we believe that we have an obligation and the agency to make responsible, researched and loving decisions in response to these truths. Our vision is for a Chicago in which the lines between neighborhoods are environmentally undetectable, outlined only by lush native plants that support and sustain our health, our communities and our environment. To achieve this, our plan to improve tree-equity starts with value-based programming. + NGEF goes where the need is the greatest. We use the Tree Equity Score as defined by American Forests to identify areas of low tree-equity. + Often referred to as a “secret weapon against climate change” NGEF follows the Miyawaki method of planting which places an emphasis on nutrient-dense soil and native plants. Our forests are scalable, as small as a single parking space and as large as the project allows. Forests can be utilized as environmental buffers, between polluting agents such as trains, roadways or businesses and homes OR can function as greenspaces for citizens to enjoy. + Community engagement is key. - NGEF works with members of the communities in which we plant before we begin our projects, building both their hopes and concerns for the forest into each forest plan. We specifically seek to engage with existing community organizations, government agencies and school municipalities. - During planting day, community volunteers are essential to help us plant. Many hands make light work and planting a forest, even a tiny one, takes teamwork! - After the roots are in the ground, the fun begins. NGEF is developing programs to give community members the opportunity to care for the forests including watering and general maintenance. The reward is watching them grow. Our forests belong to the community for decades to come. + NGEF establishes strong relationships with local communities through social events such as Forest Bathing events, Nature Hikes, Eco Pod Adventure Days, and fun outreach on Arbor Day and Earth Day each year. + NGEF has enlisted a Junior Board in which high school students learn community organizing practices, non-profit business building strategies and environmental health metrix by working side-by-side with our team. + NGEF works with local government agencies to ensure that we reach the most people and provide a forest that is most beneficial to each specific community. + NGEF works to support like-minded non-profit organizations with their efforts. Some of our partners include: Strength in the City Foundation and Little Village. + NGEF keeps children at its core. Our tiny forests can be planted on school campuses where students and STEAM educators can access them regularly. We are currently developing materials to guide students as they explore native plants, learn how they grow and watch how they attract pollinating species. These outdoor classrooms are an interactive learning experience in which students grow alongside the trees. + NGEF seeks responsible builders and corporations with shared values for commissioned forests to provide buffer and/or social forests for the communities in which they provide infrastructure- thus ensuring that all development is green development. + NGEF’s research arm is currently under development. Our team of physicians is seeking partnering research institutions to test theories that, among other theories, suggest specific microbes in soil have an impact on the microbiomes of people. Additional emerging studies are welcome. + NGEF takes a data-minded approach. Nordson's team consists of physicians trained in adult and pediatric primary care medicine, rehabilitation medicine and psychiatry, with additional expertise in public health, information technology, business development and, of course, native plants! + NGEF is always learning. To increase our environmental knowledge, we participate in programs such as Openlands Tree Keepers and keep communication with organizations like the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) open. Additionally, our team is developing expertise in community organizing through a Climate Health Organizing Fellowship granted by the Harvard University-affiliated Center for Health Equity Education and Advocacy and will begin a fellowship this summer at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Climate Health and Policy Fellowship which trains physicians to accelerate progress in addressing climate change and its effect on health. + NGEF has a responsible, robust fundraising strategy that ensures we have the funds to provide our tiny forests to schools and disadvantaged communities free of charge. Nordson Green Earth Foundation recognizes that the wounds of climate abuse, public health, and social injustice are deep. But we believe that our trees’ roots have the potential to grow deeper. Chicago exists as a collection of neighborhoods. NGEF believes that we have the power to create a collaborative of communities. By providing tree-equity for all of our neighborhoods, we Chicagoans stop cannibalizing ourselves and truly follow our motto “urbs in horto” our “city in a garden”. Your support in these efforts is imperative and appreciated.