Episode Details

Last year’s May tornado displaced hundreds of people and destroyed thousands of trees in St. Louis’ north side — an area with predominately Black neighborhoods where the tree canopy is historically thin. The devastation highlighted a disconnect between the Black St. Louisans and trees due to tree-related violence like lynchings, and disinvestment in north St. Louis. Black Healers Collective founder Rebeccah Bennett and Forest ReLeaf’s Kelly Hicks-Holloway have collaborated with other organizations to guide tornado victims through the process of healing tree trauma. They share how they are working with affected community members and what healing from tree trauma can look like.