All the trees of the Community forest
Tags: thankfulforest2024, firevalleyrocks, awscommunity
Published: 2023-12-15 21:51:01

Hard to believe it's been a whole year since we posted our [Holiday Thank You Post 2022](https://dev.to/aws-builders/aws-community-builders-holidays-posts-2022-397h).
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/nvw7ah9zz2kdylhusvsb.png)

During our hike in Fire Valley the day before re:Invent this year, we talked a lot about how grateful we were to be part of the AWS global community made up of [AWS Community Builders](https://aws.amazon.com/developer/community/community-builders/), [AWS Heroes](https://aws.amazon.com/developer/community/heroes/?community-heroes-all.sort-by=item.additionalFields.sortPosition&community-heroes-all.sort-order=asc&awsf.filter-hero-category=*all&awsf.filter-location=*all&awsf.filter-year=*all&awsf.filter-activity=*all), and employees. And we hatched a plot to say "Thank you" once again to all the wonderful AWS folks who make up the community management team:
* [Ross Barich](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossbarich/)
* [Taylor Lacy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorjacobsen)
* [Albert Zhao](https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-zhao-49b62a129/)
* [Ernesto Alvarez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernalv2/)
* [Caroline (Lily) Kerns](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilykerns/)
* [Jason Dunn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrobertdunn/)
* [Mark Pergola](https://www.linkedin.com/in/markpergola/)
* [Thembile Ndlovu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thembile-nonhle-ndlovu/)
* [Maria Encinar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariaencinar/)
* [Wesley Faulkner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesley83/)
* [Susan Lopez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanlopezbeswick/)
* [Ben Fowler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpdx/)
* [Will Machin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/machin-william/)
* [Nelly Andrade](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nellyandrade/)
* [Shafraz Rahim](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shafrazrahim/)
* Smile Lv

This community team provides support to the global community in a multitude of ways. Whether it's providing us with webinars and sessions with individuals as varied as Jeff Barr and the creators of PartyRock, providing program benefits ranging from certification vouchers and AWS credits to the coolest exclusive SWAG, and just generally providing insight and guidance to the whole community, our community wouldn't be the thriving, vibrant ecosystem it is without their help. One might even say they provide a forest worth of support trees! 

So what could be a better way to say thank you this year than by creating a veritable forest of thank you trees? And that's just what a group of us, Community Builders and Heroes decided to do. The list of trees below is dynamic and growing, so check back later to see all the new sprouts, but for now, take a look at the lovely _thank you posts_ our builders took the time to craft and nurture:

* [Ben's tree](https://dev.to/aws-builders/thank-you-community-builder-leaders-23-82a)
* [Jenn's tree](https://dev.to/aws-builders/tree-ly-thankful-5001)
* [Brian's tree](https://dev.to/brianhhough/thankful-for-the-aws-community-builders-program-building-19bi)
* [Rich's too](https://dev.to/aws-builders/operation-fire-valley-rocks-4mi6?preview=58e0683f8d43b0a39b86a07cd929928755afc9614d80316d3996a04adc87d5c2f6f6f51a72a85d5bb226b0f066e4a1fe6582c8485980943d17b5c8e4)
* [And Traian's](https://dev.to/aws-builders/operation-fire-valley-3b7h)
* [Amelia's addition](https://dev.to/aws-builders/aws-community-builders-thankful-post-2023-33o8)
* [And Bansi's](https://dev.to/bansi2000/operation-fire-valley-rocks-3db)
* [Johannes adding to the forest](https://dev.to/aws-heroes/another-year-in-the-community-thank-you-aws-community-team-thankfulforest2024-firevalleyrocks-2pki)

As fun as it is to watch this forest grow, it is but a small representation of the gratitude we, the Community Builders and Heroes, share for your dedication, patience, innovations, support, and general AWSomeness. We exist because of you. Thank you for starting this forest!

If you're interested in joining the AWS Community Builder organization after reading this and getting a glimpse of the forest, you can [join the waitlist](https://aws.amazon.com/developer/community/community-builders/?intClick=dev-center-2021_main) to get notified when the application process opens again.

<img src="https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1gfk0v9p1l1u3v37ycbq.png" width="200">
<img src="https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ay9xcfrpmoi39kbnmd6u.png" width="100">
![tree](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/zhh9uooqfbyqsizj3brf.png)
![tree](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/bo5ml05h25kjmh9fknre.png)
![tree](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/scneocyy24p4p1c96gy9.png)