Montgomery County FFA Students Distribute Trees from ReLeaf Grant

Montgomery County FFA students and faculty distributed 315 trees to local residents on Jan. 15 behind the Montgomery County High School as part of the Falling In Love With Trees, Again giveaway.

The giveaway was the brainchild of 4H and FFA student Hartley Williamson, which began when she was looking for her next community project.

“We were researching leadership and action projects for me to do, I had done one in the past, and I really wanted to do one again,” said Williamson. 

The Georgia ReLeaf Grant program, created by the Georgia Tree Council and the Georgia Forestry Commission, offers funds up to $15,000 specifically for tree planting and tree giveaway projects. According to the program’s website, the aim is to improve urban canopies and planning efforts of administrators, municipal tree departments and tree boards, sustain the health of Georgia forests and increase the access to health benefits urban forests provide.

“We were trying to figure out what would be beneficial for the county and everything, and, since Hurricane Helene, everyone has lost trees,” said Williamson. “Like, I think everybody that I have ever talked to, they have lost trees.”

The grant application window for 2025 lasted from May 16 to July 31, so Williamson and her grandmother, Joyce Allen, prepared a grant proposal to submit in June. They would not receive any notification until September, when they learned they had been awarded almost $10,000 for the project.

Funds were primarily divided between three distributables: young trees, provided by a Georgia nursery; red mulch, provided by the local Ace Hardware; and watering rings. The trees selected were native species to Montgomery County, including loblolly pines, crank myrtles, magnolias, dogwoods, white oaks, European hornbeams, red maples and pecan trees.

“We have a couple different options, because we know people like trees for different purposes,” said Montgomery County 4-H Extension Office agent Lauren Stanley.

According to Stanley, the provided mulch will provide an extra layer of insulation for the trees, allowing them to establish themselves against heat or cold. The watering rings provided are to allow for a lower maintenance of trees received through the giveaway.

“You fill it up with water, and then it releases over time, and, you know, for the people who may not go to the trees as frequently and water it, it just ensures that it helps get established,” said Stanley.

Recipients would also be given educational material on how to properly care for their new tree.

After receiving the funds, Williamson cleared the project with the local extension office before beginning promotion of the giveaway. She appeared before several local organizations, including the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, the Montgomery County Board of Education and the Mount Vernon Gardening Club, to inform residents of the giveaway’s existence and rules.

The giveaway was open only to Montgomery County residents as per the grant’s guidelines. Any residents who wished to apply for a tree could fill out an online survey provided by the local extension office.

The survey opened on Dec. 1 and remained available until Dec. 31. Applicants were asked a variety of questions, such as the type and number of trees on their property before and after Helene, the purpose of the trees on the property and if the applicant had replaced any damaged trees since.

On Jan. 15, multiple other Montgomery County FFA students and Montgomery County High School agriculture teacher Nicole Smith, as well as other contributors like Allen and Stanley, assisted with distribution of the trees, mulch and rings. 

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that it’s not a one person job,” said Williamson. “It is a team effort to do all of this.”

Data gathered from the survey will also assist Williamson in her next agriculture science project, which deals with peoples’ attitudes towards tree loss and replacement. She plans to collate the data to present at the Georgia State FFA Convention in April.

“I want to thank everybody who, you know, got out the survey and supported me with all of this, because it would not have been possible to do this without, you know, the community and all that,” said Williamson.