College hosts Friendship Forest event Oct. 6 to promote trees, friendship and community

September 18, 2017

The Friendship Forest project, founded by public artist Amanda Lovelee, is coming to Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids Campus, Friday, Oct. 6, at noon, outside the Science Building. The event is free and open to the public.

Friendship Forest Event
Tree Planting Ceremony
Friday Oct. 6
noon
Coon Rapids Campus Science Building
The event is free and open the public.

The Friendship Forest event will pair volunteers to plant trees near the Science Building. Planting the tree is just the beginning. After the planting, the team will tie a card to their tree and take home a certificate with their new tree’s location and their partner’s contact information. Participants will receive email reminders and updates from their tree about how it is growing, possible play dates and reminders for nourishment.

"Friendship Forest is about caring for our city, caring for each other and breaking down barriers by uniting residents in the act of growing happiness,” said Lovelee. “With each forest, we connect people with a planting partner and their newly-adopted tree in hopes of establishing new friendships. The Friendship Forest unites artist, arborist, scientist and the community to grow at least the next 150 years of our city."

The project’s founder, Amanda Lovelee is a visual artist based in Minneapolis, Minn. She is currently a City Artist for Public Art Saint Paul and acts as translator between the city’s ideas and its residents with the goal of building a city everyone wants to live in.

Lovelee’s work has been funded by the Minnesota State Arts Board, Jerome Foundation, Forecast Public Art and Art Place America. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Studies from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from University of Hartford.

For more information about Lovelee’s work, visit www.friendshipforestmn.com/