Teaching Responsible Earth Education
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
T.R.E.E.'s mission is to educate children and adults about the life science processes that govern our planet, to inspire them to appreciate the natural world, and to motivate them to protect it. The mission is accomplished by conducting comprehensive academic and experiential education programs.
- Income
- $460,119
- Spending
- $592,594
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- 1.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 58%
- Employees
- 15
- Volunteers
- 106
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 13% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 29% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 24% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 19 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 71% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (6)
- $144,382 spent. Earthkeepers is a 3-day program where students travel each day to a forested area outside of the city of New Orleans and earn K.E.Y.S. symbolizing the steps of their journey. Participants earned their K (Knowledge) and E (Experience) keys by engaging in activities such as following Slippery Sally, a water speck (molecule) on adventures through the water cycle. They connected with nature through immersive activities like finding, naming, and describing the perfect wind dancer, a leaf dropped for all to see how it distinctively floats through the air. When students return to school they earn their Y and S (Yourself and Sharing) keys by 1) reducing the amount of energy and materials they use or waste; (2) sharing their knowledge and experiences with younger students, family members and friends; and (3) continuing to experience the wonders of the world through solitude, observation, discovery, and writing. There were 323 public school students (10 non-public), 42 teachers, and 45 parent volunteers who participated in Earthkeepers over the fiscal year. Earthkeepers is a 3-day program where students travel each day to a forested area outside of the city of New Orleans and earn K.E.Y.S. symbolizing the steps of their journey. Participants earned their K (Knowledge) and E (Experience) keys by engaging in activities such as following Slippery Sally, a water speck (molecule) on adventures through the water cycle. They connected with nature through immersive activities like finding, naming, and describing the perfect wind dancer, a leaf dropped for all to see how it distinctively floats through the air. When students return to school they earn their Y and S (Yourself and Sharing) keys by 1) reducing the amount of energy and materials they use or waste; (2) sharing their knowledge and experiences with younger students, family members and friends; and (3) continuing to experience the wonders of the world through solitude, observation, discovery, and writing. There were 323 public school students (10 non-public), 42 teachers, and 45 parent volunteers who participated in Earthkeepers over the fiscal year.
- $141,018 spent. Sunship Earth is a 5-day and 4-night 5th grade program, where students are immersed in the natural environment, and are able to directly observe and apply the science concepts being taught. The program has a playful and engaging framework guiding children from one experience to the next. Students receive a "passport" that allows their travels on and off trail at the Study Station, an outdoor classroom in a bottomland hardwood forest about 50 miles north of New Orleans. Participants engage in 35 hands-on activities including when they climb inside of a leaf and create a molecule that is needed to trigger photosynthesis (energy flow). And they become coyotes and must come up with independent strategies like camouflage or speediness to catch the one mouse available for dinner (interrelationships). Upon returning to city life, participants pledge to reduce their impact on energy or materials and have several opportunities to work on changing their habits regarding their enjoyment and protection of the natural world. There were 157 public school students, 5 teachers, and 29 parent volunteers who participated in Sunship Earth over the school year. Sunship Earth is a 5-day and 4-night 5th grade program, where students are immersed in the natural environment, and are able to directly observe and apply the science concepts being taught. The program has a playful and engaging framework guiding children from one experience to the next. Students receive a "passport" that allows their travels on and off trail at the Study Station, an outdoor classroom in a bottomland hardwood forest about 50 miles north of New Orleans. Participants engage in 35 hands-on activities including when they climb inside of a leaf and create a molecule that is needed to trigger photosynthesis (energy flow). And they become coyotes and must come up with independent strategies like camouflage or speediness to catch the one mouse available for dinner (interrelationships). Upon returning to city life, participants pledge to reduce their impact on energy or materials and have several opportunities to work on changing their habits regarding their enjoyment and protection of the natural world. There were 157 public school students, 5 teachers, and 29 parent volunteers who participated in Sunship Earth over the school year.
- $101,666 spent. Lost Treasures is a school-based science education program for elementary students that was piloted by T.R.E.E in 2020. About 165 third grade children, 80% of which are minority and/or economically disadvantaged, benefited from alternative methods of science education becoming environmentally literate, improving academically, and understanding their ability to affect positive changes in their personal lives. The main objective of this project is to establish an empowering, school curriculum-integrated environmental education program for younger students propelling their awareness of problems like climate change and the injustices they create. Children become characters in their own story where they receive proclamations to challenge themselves and work together and discover tasks in a life-sized treasure chest in their classroom. They learn about the Animal, Mineral and Plant Kingdoms and how they interact and depend on ecosystems. There were 165 public school children and 15 teachers participating in the fiscal year. Sunship III occurs over 3 days and 2 nights for 7th graders, deepening their life science understanding and focus on implications of decisions that affect their personal lives and their communities. To start, each 7th grader receives enough solarians rather than dollars, to pay for their use of necessary resources like water, food, and electricity. They keep a checkbook which they must balance each day as they decide how to best spend their resources. They have tough decisions to make regarding desires rather than needs; like using a hair dryer or ordering the works on their pizza, especially when they realize how much these items actually cost to use, make and transport to the user. The follow-through component connects youth to sustainability leaders in the areas where they live. They pledge to interview at least one person to find out how they practice living and working more lightly on the Earth. Sunship III, like each of T.R.E.E.s programs, addresses 3 main needs. One is that New Orleans area children need educational opportunities that achieve superior levels of learning in science. Second, children need to understand how their environment functions, and that it is interconnected to all life. Third, students need to feel empowered, which is necessary for them to be confident that they can make a difference in the world. There were 193 students, 16 teachers and 17 parent chaperones who participated in Sunship III over the school year.
- $97,182 spent. Sunship III occurs over 3 days and 2 nights for 7th graders, deepening their life science understanding and focus on implications of decisions that affect their personal lives and their communities. To start, each 7th grader receives enough solarians rather than dollars, to pay for their use of necessary resources like water, food, and electricity. They keep a checkbook which they must balance each day as they decide how to best spend their resources. They have tough decisions to make regarding desires rather than needs; like using a hair dryer or ordering the works on their pizza, especially when they realize how much these items actually cost to use, make and transport to the user. The follow-through component connects youth to sustainability leaders in the areas where they live. They pledge to interview at least one person to find out how they practice living and working more lightly on the Earth. Sunship III, like each of T.R.E.E.s programs, addresses 3 main needs. One is that New Orleans area children need educational opportunities that achieve superior levels of learning in science. Second, children need to understand how their environment functions, and that it is interconnected to all life. Third, students need to feel empowered, which is necessary for them to be confident that they can make a difference in the world. There were 193 students, 16 teachers and 17 parent chaperones who participated in Sunship III over the school year.
- Community Programs and Earthwalks are included in the total expenses and revenue of Other Programs. -Metairie Country Day Summer Camp (CDCA) hires a T.R.E.E. educator(s) to create and implement multi-week programs for 8- 14-year-old campers.
- Lost Treasures is a school-based science education program for elementary students that was piloted by T.R.E.E in 2020. About 165 third grade children, 80% of which are minority and/or economically disadvantaged, benefited from alternative methods of science education becoming environmentally literate, improving academically, and understanding their ability to affect positive changes in their personal lives. The main objective of this project is to establish an empowering, school curriculum-integrated environmental education program for younger students propelling their awareness of problems like climate change and the injustices they create. Children become characters in their own story where they receive proclamations to challenge themselves and work together and discover tasks in a life-sized treasure chest in their classroom. They learn about the Animal, Mineral and Plant Kingdoms and how they interact and depend on ecosystems. There were 165 public school children and 15 teachers participating in the fiscal year.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending July 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 1996.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.