Casey Trees Celebrates National Volunteer Appreciation Week

Today, we recognize Joseph Bui, a Casey Trees' Citizen Forester since 2007, as part of National Volunteer Appreciation Week.

Joseph wanted to learn about how to prune trees, so he took a class with Casey Trees in 2007. “I heard about it through a friend. Some of my trees on my property needed a lot of pruning.”

His first planting was at Murch Elementary School. These days, he mostly volunteers with Casey Trees as a Citizen Forester at weekday school plantings because of the way his job, with Convio, is structured. It allows him to take time off during the workday to volunteer.

“I like to go outside and get messy in the dirt. It’s nice sense of accomplishment to plant a tree in the morning. The staff is nice.” He finds that most volunteer opportunities that come to him through his job don’t allow him the contact with the people receiving the benefits. “Whereas at Casey Trees, you come into contact with the people who are receiving the trees. I like that a lot.”
He praises Casey Trees’ organization. “You make it very easy to find out about and take part in events.”

And then there’s the benefit of seeing the fruits of his labor. “As I go around the city, I see trees that I planted pretty frequently. … It’s nice to see the results.”