Kim Overton (seen sitting at the back of the table) helps All Five students with a tree drawing activity. 

As a substitute teacher at All Five school in Belle Haven, Kim Overton is championing young students to appreciate and connect with their local environment, including the trees. 

This summer, Canopy’s environmental educator Tania Cooley led a series of interactive tree lessons for Kim’s pre-kindergarten class, helping students learn how trees change during the seasons and how to use their five senses to connect with trees. During the lessons, Kim enthusiastically encouraged the students to engage with Tania’s fun storytelling, lessons, and tree puppet friend “Senora Arbol.”

With 42 years in the classroom, Kim understands the importance of teaching environmental education at a young age and finding ways to connect with the local environment. Kim’s classroom was a natural fit for the introduction of Canopy’s tree puppet “Senora Arbol”, as even before Canopy’s lesson, Kim regularly took students on restorative nature walks around the All Five campus. After the lessons, Kim shared with Tania that the students started hugging and thanking the trees on their nature walks.

“How do people become aware of climate change and how to take care of the world? They have hands-on, real experiences – touching a tree, being in nature – and they start to care about it,” says Kim while discussing the importance of early childhood environmental education.

Now, Kim is helping Canopy connect with other schools and organizations dedicated to youth environmental education throughout the region. Kim’s enthusiasm, dedication, and passion for youth nature connection is helping shape a generation of tree stewards and appreciators.

The "Canopy Champions" series aims to highlight and celebrate our community members who are championing our local urban forests and helping to grow healthy trees and healthy communities for all.

With the launch of our new planting season, we have many opportunities for you to steward and learn about your local urban forest. Please use our new volunteer sign-up form to register for specific volunteer events or express interest in general volunteer opportunities!

Wed. 10/30: Green Career Series: Careers in Storytelling and Conservation

Sat. 11/2: Tree Walk: Mountain View

Wed. 11/6: Green Careers Series: Careers in Urban Forestry

Sat. 11/9: East Palo Alto Community Planting

Sat.11/16: South Palo Alto Neighborhood Planting #1

Thurs. 12/19: Mountain View Tree Care Day

Three days a week for 46 weeks of the year, a cohort of 20 teens join Canopy staff to advance Canopy’s mission. For many of the Teen Urban Foresters (TUFs), the sessions are a chance to build community from the ground up, expanding tree canopy where it is needed most. Recruited from the high schools and communities that our Branching Out Program serves, the TUFs join Canopy to not only incorporate trees into the community but to help resolve the long standing challenges of environmental injustice that have prevented all communities from living with the benefits of a healthy urban forest.

This fall, Canopy is pleased to be the recipient of one of the PG&E Corporate Foundation’s “Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grants” in direct support of the TUF program.

October 5, 2024 | Belle Haven - Planting Leaders, community members, and Canopy staff planted 15 trees throughout the Belle Haven neighborhood! Five trees were planted at All Five campus and 10 trees were planted at neighboring residences. According to the Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, when fully grown, the 15 trees that were planted will offset 62.2 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. That’s equivalent to the carbon dioxide emitted annually by 15 gasoline-powered cars.

Read more about the planting: Organization works to remedy environmental inequities in Belle Haven by planting trees

October 10, 2024 | Mountain View - Community Forestry School graduates, volunteers from Microsoft, and community members cared for 15 trees with Canopy staff at Schaefer Park.

October 11, 2024 | Mountain View - Planting Leader Jim Murray, Canopy staff and volunteers from Lockheed Martin planted 4 street trees in Mountain View as part of the Space Impact Week.

October 19, 2024 | East Palo Alto - Our TUFs cared for Canopy-planted trees at Jack Farrell Park, helping nurture our existing urban forest.

Susan R. Mendelsohn and Robert J. Flanagan

in memory of David Hettig

The PG&E

Corporation Foundation

Canopy's mission is to grow the urban forest in Midpeninsula communities for the benefit of all.



Our vision is a day when every resident of the Midpeninsula can step outside to walk, play, and thrive under the shade of healthy trees.