Now it's time to discuss your ideas with people you know. Garner their support before you bring in others you don't know. Talk to your neighbors. Give them an idea of what you'd like to accomplish. Go door to door. Introduce yourself and your ideas. The goal is to get people thinking about the potential and imagining of what the neighborhood could be. You could start by writing a letter to everyone on your street, making copies, and hand delivering them. The more personal your contact, the better the response will be.

If you are not used to communicating in this way with strangers, selling your idea can seem daunting. If you're going door to door in your neighborhood, you're doing it in the best way possible -- but that doesn't mean it's a piece of cake. Some people are very cautious about opening the door to anyone they're not expecting. If they appear irritated, cautious, or even rude, don't take it personally. You may have interrupted them in an activity that needed their concentration. Apologize, ask if you can continue or whether you can come back another time, and move on-either with the purpose of your visit or to the next house! It's hard but necessary for you to protect yourself from being hurt by rejection. Sometimes, it helps to go with a neighbor you already know, or someone that knows more people on the street than you do. There's more information about this in the fundraising section.

Get to know more about your neighborhood. Think of the places where people gather: the corner shop, the laundromat, the bar, the coffee place, the bank, one of the schools, the post office, the day-care center, the park, or even that driveway or porch down the street. Who hangs out there and who knows what's happening? The goal is to find those people who have the pulse of your home ground and share your idea with them. They'll know who to talk to and if you win them over, they'll probably help spread the word.

Let's Get Started

Now bring together as many people as possible! Invite them over for coffee, tea, a drink, a snack or some dessert one evening, or perhaps on a weekend.

Your first gathering can be very informal. You might consider making a map of the neighborhood so that on arrival everyone can mark where they live. You can make copies and distribute the maps. Since you're the one who called the meeting, you need to be prepared with some material, ideas, or information. A bit of legwork before the meeting will mean you can get further faster. For instance, if you think your project will be on public land, call the responsible agency for an idea on how long the permit process will take.

It will help if you set a timeline. Have a clear idea of what you'd like to see happen by the end of the meeting, but stay open to suggestions. Don't develop your idea so far that no one can contribute to the creative process. Ask people to share their ideas for the neighborhood. Support them in making the project their own because their support is vital to your success. If it's all your idea, then it's all your project!

Planning the Meeting

You're the one who's taken the initiative, so have an agenda for your first meeting. Here's a suggested outline.

INTRODUCTIONS
WHAT'S POSSIBLE
BRAINSTORM MORE IDEAS
DO WE WANT TO DO THIS?
CHOOSE A FIRST PROJECT
TIMELINE?
ORGANIZERS?
SET NEXT MEETING DATE, TIME, PLACE
ADJOURN AND - LET'S EAT!

1. When people arrive, give out nametags. Knowing someone's name makes it easier to start a conversation.

2. Post your agenda on a large piece of paper or hand it out.

3. Begin by introducing yourself and thanking everyone for coming. Announce when the meeting will be over and don't keep anyone longer than an hour and a half. Have everyone introduce themselves to the group. Where do they live?

4. Announce why you brought everyone together and what you think might be possible. If you already have a project in mind, have a reference book with pictures of different tree species or a sketch of your street that highlights possible planting spots. Also, if you sense any party poopers, be ready with the advantages of trees, outlined here.

WHAT DO TREES
REALLY DO FOR US?

• Provide oxygen.
• Clean the air by absorbing odors and pollution.
• Conserve energy by shading and cooling homes and buildings and breaking up urban heat islands, thereby reducing the need for air-conditioning.
• Reduce water consumption and increase atmospheric moisture.
• Prevent water runoff and soil erosion by breaking rainfall and holding soil.
• Produce food and mulch.
• Provide a canopy and habitat for wildlife.
• Transform barren areas and provide buffers from harsh urban landscapes.
• Increase property values and improve business traffic.
• Add unity, identity, landmarks, and pride to communities working together.
• Absorb noise, dust, and heat.
• Reduce glare.
• Provide visual barriers and fire and windbreaks.
• Provide fuel and craft wood.
• Serve as a vehicle for personal and community activism.
• Provide employment.
• Turn vacant lots into parks and playgrounds.
• Provide protection against the increase in cancer-causing ultraviolet rays due to the depletion of the ozone layer.
• Serve as friends, companions, playmates, and teachers.
• Provide spiritual and creative inspiration.
• Dramatically accentuate seasons in the city.
• Act as symbols of life, peace, hope for the future, and life-style change.
• Produce a sense of rootedness, connectedness, and community.

5. Open it up for brainstorming. Brainstorms should only focus on the positive to encourage people to feel comfortable enough to share ideas. Be sure to discourage a gripe session that makes everyone feel like nothing can happen. Record the ideas on a posted piece of paper and don't comment yet. The purpose is to emerge with possibilities and to encourage others to contribute. Once ideas are recorded, go back and discuss them. Highlighting strengths helps others feel appreciated and involved. All it takes is a little insensitivity now to lose someone for the rest of the program.

6. See if you can get some consensus and whether there's enough interest to make something happen. Make it clear that, while everyone will be needed for the project, a few will have to help organize. Don't try to do it all yourself as you'll probably burn out. Establish an estimated timeline for planting and try recruiting people to work with you on the following tasks:

• contacting the responsible agency (if your work will be on land that requires government approval) and beginning the permit process, including a list of approved trees contacting neighbors who haven't yet been reached
• contacting TreePeople or another tree group for advice/assistance
• collecting information on trees, prices, nurseries, and other supplies
• locating tools
• fundraising
• planning, producing, and running additional meetings
• coordinating the planting day, the block party, or other activities
• organizing other volunteers, resources, and publicity

7. Wrap up the formal part of the meeting. Create a roster of names, phone numbers, addresses, business and organizational affiliations and special interest or talent information. Let everyone know that you will be back in touch for another meeting on types of trees and so forth.

8. Set a date and time to meet with your small organizing group. If enthusiasm is high, try making a list of action items to accomplish by the next meeting.

9. Adjourn the meeting. Be prepared to chat and munch for a while afterward, as important informal discussion is likely to take place.

This group may be cautious about getting involved before they know how much time or money is needed. Try to avoid getting stuck by worry right now. Assure them that there are many resources available for guidance and assistance.

After your first meeting, move quickly to obtain results. Collect information vital to the project or establish contacts in city agencies. On your roster, make a note of those who expressed interest in the project, those who offered to plant, and those who are part of the organizing committee. Stay in touch!