DEPTH OF FIELD
12.2023
ONE TREE PLANTED LOCAL 600 SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE’S “IN MEMORIAM”
BY PAULINE ROGERS PHOTOS COURTESY OF ONE TREE PLANTED
“The last few years have rocked our membership with the deaths of many young members along with well-known colleagues and old friends,” shares Allison Elvove, the National Chair of Local 600’s Sustainability Committee. “We felt we needed to make a gesture as the Board to recognize these challenging times and to honor the important work our brothers and sisters have contributed to the film and television industry.” It began in 2021, when Local 600 Unit Still Photographer Katherine Bomboy brought awareness of the nonprofit organization One Tree Planted to the attention of the Local 600 Sustainability Committee. The Sustainability Committee, with the help of the Active Engagement Committee, spearheaded a grassroots campaign to plant 9,000 trees representing our approximately 9,000 union members. In the end, Local 600 members raised $9,646 to plant 9,646 trees. At the January 2022 National Executive Board meeting, Elvove shared details of the campaign’s success. NEB Member
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Rocker Meadows suggested the Union continue a relationship with One Tree Planted by planting trees on behalf of Local 600 members who have passed. One Tree Planted’s Angèle Dostie set the tone by noting, “It’s a beautiful and heartwarming tribute in remembrance of your friends and colleagues. Your gift will have a tangible impact on nature and communities, which is fitting as they have impacted so many lives.” From all of these efforts, Local 600’s “In Memoriam” charitable donation to One Tree Planted was born. At the February 2023 NEB, the Board approved the Local 600 Sustainability Committee’s proposal to plant trees in honor of the 31 Guild members who passed away the year prior, in 2022. The number of trees planted was based on the person’s age when they passed. For instance, if the member was 65 years old, 65 trees were donated. At $1 per tree, $2,161 was donated, which meant 2,161 trees were planted. Instead of donating a standard amount – say $50 per person – the Board felt it would be more
meaningful for the families if the Local 600 members were honored by the specific number of trees related to their ages. Working with Local 600 staff, the Sustainability Committee spent months researching the members, to learn more about their families and lives, to ensure the number of trees accurately reflected each member. For 2022, the Sustainability Committee chose to “plant where it’s needed most.” One Tree Planted selected the Southeast 2023 Species Conservation and Longleaf Pine Restoration project. The planting project established 2,500 acres of new longleaf pine and improved 5,500 acres of existing longleaf forest. Planting was done across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. More than 34,000 trees have been planted in Florida’s Seminole State Forest to support not only the community but also the diverse wildlife – helping to ensure a natural and functioning ecosystem. This area contains nearly all of Central Florida’s naturally occurring