Ten Rings In: Growing With Purpose
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This year, Grow With Trees celebrates its tenth anniversary. In tree years, that’s not too old—a sapling with ten growth rings, firmly rooted, reaching upward, and growing with intention. That feels about right.
Grow With Trees was founded on a simple idea: trees have been around a long time, and they’ve figured out a thing or two about growth, resilience, and risk management. There’s a lot that we, as a species, can learn from them. Trees grow deliberately. They invest where it matters. And, if you’ve ever seen one growing out of a seemingly impossible situation (off a cliff face?) or twisting around an unexpected obstacle, you know how creative and adaptive they can be. At Grow With Trees, we’ve tried to embrace that same out-of-the-box approach.
This philosophy aligns naturally with the principles of Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) used across the energy and transportation sectors to manage vegetation on rights-of-way (i.e., utility corridors, roadsides, etc.). IVM directs us to manage risk by design, not by accident, using the full suite of tools available, adapting as we go, and allowing the right plants to thrive in the right place.
Grow With Trees was founded on a simple idea: trees have been around a long time, and they’ve figured out a thing or two about growth, resilience, and risk management. There’s a lot that we, as a species, can learn from them. Trees grow deliberately. They invest where it matters. And, if you’ve ever seen one growing out of a seemingly impossible situation (off a cliff face?) or twisting around an unexpected obstacle, you know how creative and adaptive they can be. At Grow With Trees, we’ve tried to embrace that same out-of-the-box approach.
This philosophy aligns naturally with the principles of Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) used across the energy and transportation sectors to manage vegetation on rights-of-way (i.e., utility corridors, roadsides, etc.). IVM directs us to manage risk by design, not by accident, using the full suite of tools available, adapting as we go, and allowing the right plants to thrive in the right place.
For more than a decade, we’ve helped organizations reframe the vegetation on their rights-of-way as an asset rather than a liability. Through training, socialization, planning, and reporting products and services, we help organizations reduce nature-based risks, steward the lands they manage, foster wildlife habitat and community engagement, and build pride among their employees and contractors—adding ecological, social, and business value from the boots on the ground to the suits in the boardroom.
With 2026 newly underway—and as we mark this meaningful milestone—we’re reflecting on the lessons trees continue to teach us about pursuing sustainable, purposeful growth, both personally and professionally.
- 🌱Start with a strong foundation: trees thrive because they invest in deep, stable roots.
Set intentions grounded in your core values. If, like us, environmental stewardship is one of them, make sure it resonates in your daily actions and decision-making. - 🌳Grow strategically: trees grow slowly, steadily, and wisely.
Focus on small, consistent improvements—one mindful change at a time. Favor long‑term outcomes over short‑term gains. - 🌼Embrace (bio)diversity: diverse ecosystems are more resilient and more innovative.
Don’t rely on a single approach or perspective. Welcome unusual ideas, challenge the norm, celebrate differences, and stay open to the unexpected. Diversity makes us stronger when difficulties arise. - 🍂Remain flexible: trees bend with the wind and adjust their activities based on the season and surrounding conditions.
Reallocate effort and resources when circumstances change or priorities shift. Keep your long-term vision in mind while adapting your day-to-day tactics as needed. - 🤝Choose collaboration over competition: trees are remarkably cooperative, sharing nutrients, sending signals to their neighbors, and hosting countless other forms of life.
In that same spirit, aim to give more than you take. Partnerships, information-sharing, and generosity have the power to collectively lift everyone up. High-functioning people and organizations grow stronger by working together.
How will these lessons shape your year ahead?
We’d love to hear how you envision applying these lessons in 2026. If you’re a vegetation manager, be sure to also share your New Year’s resolution for your program in our LinkedIn poll.
Here’s to ten growth rings, strong roots, and growing with intention. All our best as you embark on 2026—and please reach out if we can help you reach your goals in the year ahead.
Stan Vera-Art is President and Creative Catalyst at Grow With Trees. He has 20+ years of consulting experience with ecosystem restoration companies and utility vegetation management departments, with a special focus on integrating ecological and project management principles.
Iris Caldwell recently joined Grow With Trees as Vice President. She previously founded and facilitated the internationally recognized Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group to convene people at the intersection of energy and transportation, conservation, research, and policy.
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