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While leaves changed color and floated to the ground, I talked to tree enthusiast Bill Hanavan, a retired gastroenterologist and co-founder of Heights Tree People in northeast Ohio. He believes everyone deserves a little shade -- from a tree, that is.

Hanavan started planting trees when he lived in his old house in western Michigan -- old as in he no longer lives there, but also old in that the house was a stop on the Pony Express. There were two majestic oak trees in front of his house, and Hanavan says he "just liked being under them and looking up at them." He read about trees, the best ones to plant (native species) and bought saplings to plant on his property and anywhere else people wanted them.

There was also a horse pasture alongside his house, but Hanavan didn't own any horses, so he thought, why not plant a forest instead? He reached out to his county conservation district for resources and planted trees in the vacant pasture.

Tree canopies are vital to our communities, and planting more of them makes a big difference, especially in urban landscapes. Mature trees intercept storm water, improve the infiltration of water into the soil, clean the air and reduce urban heat island effects. But not all trees are created equal, and choosing the right one for the intended space is important.

Just about every county in the United States has a conservation district like the one Hanavan resourced. They can be called different things depending on where you live. Some go by Natural Resources District, Soil and Water Conservation Districts or Land Conservation Department. All were established under state law when Franklin D. Roosevelt was president, and to this day they share the same mission according to the National Association of Conservation Districts, which is to coordinate assistance from all available sources -- public and private, local, state and federal -- to develop locally driven solutions to natural resources concerns.

These districts can be quite helpful and for more than just trees. I received a backyard conservation grant from my county conservation district a few years ago to help support installing rain barrels and raised garden beds on my property in Kentucky.

For Hanavan, the conservation district helped him establish his first mini forest. "Every time I planted a tree it just made me feel good," Hanavan said. So, he kept going.

He picked up potted trees at nurseries and big box stores as he found them and planted them around his property. He also helped a friend convert 10 acres of former farmland into a wooded area. Hanavan's yard became a nursery of sorts. He always had potted trees in his yard, at the ready, for whenever the opportunity to plant one presented itself.

When Hanavan and his wife moved to Cleveland Heights, Ohio, for their retirement, three potted trees he hadn't found spots for yet moved with him. His new place didn't include acreage, but he still picked up potted trees from nurseries and planted them around his home and neighborhood. He posted a call out on the Nextdoor app, offering trees to anyone who was interested. He even properly planted them free of charge.

It was at a fundraiser for northeast Ohio's Western Reserve Land Conservancy that his tree-planting hobby went next level. There, he met like-minded tree enthusiasts Margy Weinberg, Sue Wolpert and Laura Marks.

Together they founded Heights Tree People in 2019. The volunteer-run organization took to the streets. Literally. They assessed which neighborhoods lacked tree canopy, knocked on doors and asked community members if they'd like a free tree. Many said yes.

They worked with local schools to plant trees in schoolyards. They've recently partnered with the Height's Libraries to transform 6 acres into an "urban mini forest" with grant support from the Cuyahoga County Healthy Urban Tree Canopy program. This earned them the city of University Heights Good Neighbor award at their annual civic awards event earlier this month.

Bill Hanavan is a great example of the heights you can reach when you let your passion lead you. I'm all in for throwing this kind of shade in the neighborhood. I think I'll go plant a (native) tree.

Know someone in your community who is doing something cool? Send me a note and let me know at Bonnie@WriterBonnie.com.

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Check out Bonnie's weekly YouTube videos at https://www.youtube.com/bonniejeanfeldkamp. To find out more about Bonnie Jean Feldkamp and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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