Our story
Bringing Back Beaumont's Canopy
BMTrees was founded by neighbors who remembered what Beaumont looked like before the storms — and refused to accept that it couldn't look that way again.
Our Vision
We envision a Beaumont where every street is shaded by a canopy of sprawling live oaks draped in Spanish moss — the way it looked before decades of hurricanes stripped it bare.
That canopy wasn't just beautiful. It cooled neighborhoods, cleaned the air, sheltered wildlife, and gave Beaumont its identity as a city of the Deep South. Hurricane after hurricane took it, and no one came to replant it.
BMTrees exists to change that. We plant only native Texas species — led by the live oak — because native trees belong here, support local ecosystems, and are built to withstand Southeast Texas weather. We work yard by yard, neighborhood by neighborhood, until the canopy comes back.
How BMTrees Started
BMTrees started a couple years ago over a dinner with friends. Drs. Gandy and Pearce began to talk about the loss of local trees and the increasingly open skyline around our city.
Dr. Pearce was very familiar with this decline in the canopy since he spent time away from Beaumont training to become a retina surgeon. After living in Atlanta and Savannah for nearly a decade, he grew to understand how important an urban canopy is to a thriving city. During his time in Atlanta, he even had a tree planted in his yard by the local foundation, Trees Atlanta, the inspiration for our organization. Having been the beneficiary of a very well-organized nonprofit in Georgia, it inspired him to bring the same ethos to his hometown.
Dr. Gandy, with a shared passion for the value and beauty of trees was immediately on board, and that was the birth of BMTrees! Since then, we have rallied support to raise awareness and funds to support our local mission. Since we are a local charity, that is completely volunteer, all of your donations go towards our mission of putting new trees in the ground to better Beaumont. We can't wait to partner with you to improve our green spaces!
What We Stand For
Native species only
We plant trees that belong in Southeast Texas — live oaks, water oaks, yaupon holly, and more. No invasives, no ornamentals that won't survive the climate.
Community-first
Every tree goes to a Beaumont resident who requested it. We serve the people who live here, prioritizing neighborhoods that lost the most.
Free, always
There is no cost to receive a tree. Our work is funded entirely by donations and grants.
Long-term thinking
A live oak planted today will shade a family for 200 years. We plant for the next generation, not the next news cycle.
Board of Directors
The volunteers who keep BMTrees rooted.
William Pearce, M.D.
Board Chair
I am a retina surgeon and Beaumont resident with a passion for improving the quality of our city through urban forestry. After living in "the city in a forest" (Atlanta), I realized that a metropolitan center can thrive in a densely forested area. Jonathon and I started BMTrees with the hope of restoring and expanding Beaumont's tree canopy through stewardship, civic engagement and generational sustainability. As a physician, I believe in the importance of long-term thinking, prevention, and investing in the health of the community. BMTrees reflects that same philosophy—planting trees today that will benefit our city for generations to come.
Jonathan Gandy, O.D.
Vice Chair
Dr. Jonathan Gandy has loved trees since he was a kid growing up in Northwest Louisiana. There's something about standing under a canopy that settles the mind — the shade, the quiet, the sense that something older and steadier than you is holding the world together. That love turned into a calling when he realized how many trees we lose every year to development, disease, and simple neglect. Trees aren't just scenery. They clean our air, cool our streets, give wildlife a home, absorb stormwater to help mitigate flooding, and make our communities more livable. He believes planting them is one of the most hopeful things a person can do.
He came to Beaumont in 2020, drawn by the chance to build a life in a place where he could put down roots — literally and figuratively. Before that, he served as a medic in the Louisiana National Guard, including a tour in Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom, then trained as an optometrist in Puerto Rico, where he met his wife. He spent six years practicing in Laredo before settling in southeast Texas with his wife, three kids, and dog Sasha.
He plants trees because the next generation deserves shade too.
Clint Walters
Treasurer
Clint Walters is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Security Bank and a longtime member of the Southeast Texas community. A graduate of Lamar University, where he earned both a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a Master of Business Administration, Clint has built his career around strengthening the communities First Security Bank serves. He and his family call Southeast Texas home, and his commitment to the area extends beyond banking through continued support of local organizations, schools, businesses, and community initiatives.
Clint believes restoring Beaumont's tree canopy is an investment in the beauty, character, and long-term vitality of Southeast Texas. Trees are an important part of what makes our communities feel established, welcoming, and connected, while providing benefits that will be enjoyed for generations to come. Supporting the restoration of Beaumont's tree canopy reflects Clint's belief that being a good community partner means investing not only in the people and businesses of Southeast Texas, but also in preserving and improving the place we are proud to call home.
Dustin Price
Trustee
Dustin serves as a Trustee for BMTrees, supporting the organization's mission to restore and expand Beaumont's native tree canopy.
Ready to help restore the canopy?
Whether you want a tree in your yard, can spare a few hours on a planting day, or want to make a donation — there's a place for you in BMTrees.