We Plant Native Ecosystems in Cities So Nature Can Return

Creating spaces for people, wildlife, and learning to thrive

A large group of volunteers and students planting dozens of native shrubs and trees on a cleared hillside during a community restoration event in the Bronx.

Restoring Nature Through Learning and Care

Founded by educator Gerrit Jones-Rooy, Yaupon brings 15+ years of classroom and curriculum experience to urban restoration. Every project connects planting to observation, writing, and long-term care—so learning doesn't stop at planting day.

How Yaupon Works

Community restoration and hands-on learning.

Urban Wilds

Community & Resilience
We transform vacant lots into thriving ecosystems that cool neighborhoods, absorb stormwater, and bring birds and pollinators back.
Mid-City New Orleans
- Community-led restoration with plans for expansion in 2026
Wild Schoolyards

Education & Stewardship
School-based planting that connects literacy and science. Students plant together, watch what returns, and write about what they see.
Upstate New York
- Pollinator meadow with school partners
- Launching 2026
New York City
- School partnerships in development
Sidewalk Strips

Biodiversity & Climate
Native plantings along streets and walkways that reduce heat and manage stormwater in the spaces people move through every day.
New Orleans
- Pilot site planted February 2026

Learn More About Our Work

Small native plantings create real change

Native plants integrated into an urban courtyard landscape.

50k–100k gallons of stormwater absorbed each year

Acting like a wetland, not a parking lot.

A high-contrast photograph of a dappled shadow from a leafy tree canopy cast onto a light gray paved sidewalk.

10–15°F cooler surface temperatures

Native plants and shade cool the ground naturally—not pavement that traps heat.

A macro photograph of a black and yellow bumblebee collecting pollen from the center of a vibrant orange flower against a blurred green leaf background.

Habitat return for birds, butterflies, and pollinators

Creating safe spaces for the wildlife that fuel healthy ecosystems.

See the Full Impact of Our Work

Gerrit Jones-Rooy engaging with young students during a literacy and science lesson.

Founder planting native shrubs and grasses alongside a volunteer at a community site.

Rooted in Education & Action

Nature was one of the first places Gerrit felt calm as a kid—and later, one of the most powerful ways he connected with students as a teacher.

Over 15 years in classrooms and schools, Gerrit became a nationally recognized educator, literacy consultant, and curriculum author. But when planting native trees in his own neighborhood began to change a place and bring people together, he started wondering what could happen if that same care and curiosity lived in schoolyards too.

That question became Yaupon.

Learn More About Gerrit