Passing the Torch & upcoming Events

Katie passing the admin torch to Tress.

Please join us in welcoming Tress La'Ree as our new Administrative Associate! Katie Gardner has been training Tress for the last couple months, and the transition could not have been smoother. These ladies are truly the best!

We are so grateful for the year of service Katie has given to Kentucky Heartwood as Administrative Associate, and we are pleased that she will be joining the Kentucky Heartwood council (our board of directors) again. And, we are incredibly excited for the new energy Tress is bringing to the organization.

Tress will be handling our essential day-to-day tasks, including bookkeeping, filing taxes and paperwork, and communicating with our supporters and donors. Look for her signature when you receive a thank you note from us, as she will be handling your donations from here on out!

Also, today is Tress' birthday! Is it a coincidence that she she shares a birthday with John Muir? While we were working this morning she shared a very moving story about herself - how she, from a young age, has found peace in the forest, and her deep connection with nature. We are so thankful to have someone with her passion, energy and razor sharp mind working with us!

It has been a year since we added the Administrative Associate position to our staff, and the 10 hours a week that Katie, and now Tress, has been contributing has made a huge difference to our ability to work effectively. You may have noticed our social media presence growing, or more information and images being shared that illustrate the importance and beauty of our public lands. This is all because of the work that Katie and Tress are doing, which has freed up other staff time to engage in more outreach and education.

We'll be making a formal appeal soon to raise money for a few expenses, including two new laptop computers that we need to purchase ASAP, as well as additional funds for rent (it looks like our rent is going up by $150 starting next month). So, look for that fundraising message soon, but in the meantime, anything donated starting today will go straight toward these needs. Right now we are looking at a goal of raising a total of $1,994 to cover these costs. 

If you support what we do, please make a donation today. What better way could there be to welcome Tress to this position, (and to wish her a happy birthday <3)?

Use this link or the donate button on our Facebook page to chip in.
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WELCOME TRESS!!!! We are so glad to have you with us and hopefully we'll be able to afford a new computer for you soon :) 


Here's a little bit more of Tress's background:

Tress La'Ree grew up in the Pacific Northwest, with the forest as her playground. She became passionate about protecting our nations’ forest after witnessing widespread clear cutting, without restoration in the 1980’s. After moving to Berea in 2008, she became a member of Kentucky Heartwood and her family became involved in 2010 during the Save Climax and Little Egypt campaign.
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Tress lives in Berea, Kentucky with her partner, Jason who is a music instructor. Her cats, Paren and Tucchi and her dog, Hazel keep her company. She spends her time with her friends, natural building, and dancing. She is passionate about her other job as a birth doula and teaching Dancing for Birth™ classes.
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Thanks to all of our members for your support which has allowed us to grow, bit by bit, year by year, protecting the lands we love!

Katie training Tress on filing quarterly taxes. Tress thinks it's great way to spend a birthday, lol. It is a perk to get to work outside on nice days, and hopefully we'll have a replacement for the molasses-slow dinosaur computer she's currently using.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Join Kentucky Heartwood at these fun, engaging events:


A GARDEN AFFAIR
At the The Headley-Whitney Museum of Art in Lexington. The event runs Thursday through Sunday April 27-30. Kentucky Heartwood will be there Saturday only.
More information and tickets here: 
https://www.hwmagarden.com/tickets-1/



EARTH DAY CELEBRATION 
At the Louisville Zoo. Sunday, April 30, 2017 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
More information and tickets here: 
https://louisvillezoo.org/event/earthdaycelebration2017/



Mark your calendars!
Kentucky Heartwood's Annual Music Fest
is scheduled for
Saturday, July 29  
3:00 to 10:00 pm
Rain or Shine
Details will be posted on our website soon.