Rooted in Purpose: Regenerative Leadership & Living in Right Relationship with Tree Jenny
- chri116
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Summary:
Have you forgotten how to play?
This week on The UpLevel Podcast, join us for a deeply grounding and inspiring conversation as we sit down with Jennifer Leigh Smith, J.D., affectionately known as Tree Jenny. She is an environmental lawyer, regenerative leader, certified carbon auditor, and heart-centered activist. From growing up on a sustainable farm in Louisiana to planting over 620,000 biodiverse trees across Central America and Kenya, Tree Jenny shares how she’s built a life rooted in service, reverence, and radical joy.
We explore what it means to be in right relationship with Earth, with one another, and with our inner child. Whether she’s leading carbon-offset reforestation initiatives or guiding eco-tourism adventures that reconnect people to awe and wonder, Jenny is here to remind us that healing the planet begins with remembering who we truly are.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why fair pay for tree planters near the equator matters more than you think
The power of childlike wonder and play in environmental justice
How Tree Jenny created a community-powered reforestation movement
Why being in right relationship includes self-care, purpose, and collective healing
How YOU can participate in regenerating Earth, one tree at a time
Order of Topics:
The Origin of Tree Jenny
Community Carbon Trees: Mission and Impact
Defining Right Relationship
The Importance of Play
Journey from Law to Environmental Advocacy
The Weight of Free Will and Responsibility
Navigating Anger and Forgiveness
Astrological Insights and Shedding Relationships
The Purpose and Importance of Trees
The Interconnectedness of Nature and Humanity
Challenges and Corruption in Environmental Efforts
The Impact of Deforestation
Reforestation and Biodiversity
Balancing Purpose and Self-Care
Community Engagement and Support
Final Thoughts on Right Relationship and Collective Healing
Action Items:
Commit to Self-Work:
Prioritize personal growth and introspection in relationships.
Recognize the tendency to project issues onto others; focus on self-reflection.
Balance in Engagements:
Ensure a balanced approach where neither your needs nor those of others are overly prioritized.
Foster mutual understanding by acknowledging each other's developmental edges.
Participate in Community Building:
Engage in communal gatherings that align with shared goals, enhancing collective consciousness.
Support each other’s journeys through group activities like retreats or volunteer efforts.
Integrate Nature Into Your Life:
Find time to connect with nature, such as spending time with trees or in natural settings.
Consider it not just recreational but restorative and essential to personal well-being.
Foster Joyful Living Amidst Challenges:
Embrace life’s pleasures—joy, play, rest—as part of transformative living despite challenges.
Strive for balance between savoring life experiences and addressing suffering constructively.
About Tree Jenny:
Jennifer Leigh Smith, J.D. President and Founder grew up on a sustainable farm in Louisiana playing in the woods and bayous, marveling at the Nature all around her. “Tree Jenny” was named by the kids participating in Association Community Carbon Trees (ACCT) education programs over 15 years ago. She is an environmental Lawyer, Agro-forester, and Certified Carbon Auditor. She is a dedicated Yoguini, musician, dancer, and artist who believes in the miraculous power of creation culture.
Jenny is a revolutionary environmental activist who champions fair pay for tree planters around the world, especially near the Equator where trees generously give us compounded benefits. The ACCT community reforestation programs empower vulnerable families by including women in the center of the work, in both Central America and Kenya, Africa. Jenny and her teams of Super Tree Friends have produced, planted, and maintained long term, more than 620,000 biodiverse trees so far, over 100 different native fruit, lumber ,and animal fodder species.
Jenny holds space for activists and businesses around the world to give back to Mother Earth by encouraging global participation in sponsoring ONE TREE AT A TIME. The ACCT movement invites people from all walks of life to connect with their childlike wonder and joy in Nature and participate in a powerful regenerative natural solution for global environmental challenges. What we do to the Earth we do to ourselves… re-wilding our inner and outer world is a joyful way to further our own joyful purpose in life and use it to live in real harmony with Ourselves and EACH OTHER as an integrated and interdependent symbiotic part of Nature.
Jenny also holds space for folks who want a more hands-on experience planting trees with communities. Eco tourism adventures have organically grown out of Community Carbon Trees, mostly because Jenny so enthusiastically shares her knowledge and joy for planting trees with people of all ages to awaken their inner childlike awe and wonder to connect deeply with the healing powers of deep and reverent nature connection.
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About UpLevel Productions: Founded by Christie Mann, MA, CPCC, PCC, and Rachel Baldi, CPCC, PCC, UpLevel creates, produces, and delivers Transformative Experiences, Workshops, Training, Events + Media that develop leaders who make our world a healthier, more alive, and connected place to be. As Associate CTI Faculty Partners, UpLevel is licensed to sell, produce, and deliver Co-Active coach training and leadership development programs around the world to support the transformational growth of individuals and culture inside the workplace and organization. www.uplevelproductions.com Instagram @uplevelproductions Facebook & LinkedIn @uplevelproductionscompany
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