Tree Hero | Tangela Gaffney “Roots are the new Green”

Pictured from top-down: Renee Gaffney, Tangela Gaffney, Markeyia Hatchell, Braylon Hatchell, Milan West and Sincere Wynn (Photo by Ryan Grzybowski)

In our Tree Heroes series, we’re featuring Tangela Gaffney, a member of the WRLC’s Forest City Crew.  

If you drive down Ansel Road in Cleveland, you might pass Renee Gaffney's tan house, home to the family matriarch and the center of a multigenerational group of community stewards. The group includes Tangela; her mother, Renee; Markeyia Hatchell, whom Tangela considers a sister; Markeyia’s son, Braylon Hatchell; Milan West, a cousin of Markeyia and Braylon whom Tangela also considers family; and 4-year-old Sincere Wynn, a close family friend. Tangela and the group joined the Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s Tree Crew for the 2025–2026 season and then helped train the family members and friends who joined them. Together, they check and care for newly planted trees, remove litter, interact with neighbors, and share tree-care skills in their neighborhood.  

The four generations have coined themselves the “Roots are the new Green” family as they live in the Superior-St. Clair neighborhood. “I love that within our group we can share information with the next generation. . . we have four generations of education, knowledge, love, and passion,” said Tangela.  

Milan and Braylon, the second-youngest, are in high school, and they help care for trees on Ida and Ansel. Braylon has a mower and helps care for the lawns of many neighbors near Ms. Renee’s house. “I go above and beyond . . . I do the edging, use my lawn mower instead of picking up trash, and make sure the trees are not cut down,” Braylon said.  

“Kids my age don’t really care about trees or the ecosystem, so I am trying to change that perspective and do better,” said Milan, a high school junior.  

4-year-old Sincere helps Tangela by using an iPad to photograph the trees after the work is done. “I take pictures down the street,” he said.  

Her crew of family and friends has eight members trained to care for trees on four streets in the Superior-St. Clair neighborhood. They like to have a small tree challenge while they care for the trees to see who can do the best job.  

“Just us having fun and encouraging each other to keep our neighborhood and trees clean.” Markeyia describes their small tree challenge and goes the extra mile, “I’m not just picking up trash around my trees; if there's any trash on the street, I am picking it up.”  

A few years ago, Tangela had an unfortunate car crash and found that an episode of seizures started affecting her day-to-day life, and she received her seizure alert dog, Gigi. As a member of Forest City Crew, she has found a sense of connection to her community after losing her job due to her medical conditions. Caring for trees has kept her grounded and given her a purposeful day-to-day focus.  

“It’s a sense of pride when I am working on trees; I have her with me (Gigi the dog) . . . I forgot a tree, and as I was leaving, she sat right next to it. Beyond the trees, she has truly saved me from myself over and over again,” Gaffney said. Rooted in legacy, Tangela is fueled by her mother’s devotion. After many losses in her life, she commits to the group and helps where she can.  

Through the Forest City Crew, Tangela has turned caring for trees into a family tradition rooted in service, resilience, and neighborhood pride. By sharing that work across four generations, the crew is cultivating a healthier environment and helping the trees and the local community grow stronger together for years to come.