Joyful Earth Stewards Using Sustainability

0% complete

$100,000 Goal

Joyful Earth Stewards Using Sustainability (J.E.S.U.S.) is a Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to restore native trees and shrubs along the northern Front Range, from the Cache la Poudre River toward the St. Vrain.

We were founded by a retired U.S. Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant with 26 years in aviation maintenance and logistics. Planting at scale is a logistics problem: the right species, in the right place, with water, care, and follow-up. We run it that way.

What makes our approach different is measurement. We put soil sensors in the ground, keep untouched control plots for comparison, and share results in the open, wins and losses alike. Too many restoration projects plant and walk away. We want landowners, agencies, and other restoration groups to see what actually worked in Colorado’s dry climate, and why.

What we are building:

Native riparian and upland plantings using a palette of Colorado species
A sensor network that tracks soil moisture and seedling survival over time
Partnerships with landowners, open space managers, and conservation groups
Public reporting of results so others can build on them

Your gift helps cover the first phase: site preparation, native plants, sensors, and the monitoring that turns a planting into usable data.

Joyful Earth Stewards Using Sustainability is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 42-3425040. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Mission

To restore native trees and shrubs along Colorado’s northern Front Range and to measure, with soil sensors and untouched control plots, what survives and why, sharing the results openly so others can restore land more effectively.

Background Statement

Many tree-planting efforts end the day the last seedling goes in the ground. Few of them track what survives, what fails, or why, so the lessons rarely reach the next project. J.E.S.U.S. was formed to close that gap on the northern Front Range, where dry conditions make planting hard and results are worth sharing.Our approach pairs native planting with measurement: soil sensors, untouched control plots, and open reporting of results, including the failures. We are a new organization. We are building our first sites with landowners and land managers, and every early gift goes toward getting those first plantings and monitoring in the ground.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Joyful Earth Stewards Using Sustainability

Year Established

2026

Tax id (EIN)

42-3425040