Tree Replacement Project
by Kate Spontak
May 10 saw lots of Tree Hugging going on at the Children’s Library. We also, just on a lark, created a tree raffle for the day. Next time I’ll line up a data entry person to make sure all the names and emails get entered quickly, so we can send out information and applications. We had lots of responses, delivered some trees to winners that day and several more the following weekend. Of course, it was too late to be putting trees in the hot ground, so we advised folks to just move them to larger pots for the summer so they can be partly shaded and well-watered. Best time to plant in a new sunny location is Fall when they can have lots of time to spread their roots over the winter and be ready to grow next Spring.
Last day of May, 5/31, at SJCA, our dauntless crew of Martha, Dauphne, Louann, Cindy, Shaye, and Kate worked our way through the first half of the nursery. The wonderful wild plum had gone very wild indeed, sending out roots and developing baby plum trees along the way. What a job that was trying to both prune back roots for the mother tree and save all the babies! Very stressful for both the trees and us. Seeing still-green stems gives us hope they are surviving as well as we did.
Dauphne and Shaye checked out the water supply and we watered everything before we left. Dauphne and Louann made plans to organize the watering crew and a watering schedule. It may not look urgent now, but watering is critical to helping our trees survive stress and heat.
Saturday 6/21 from 8 to 11 am at St Joseph's Center - We will finish root pruning and lifting the trees in our nursery and lay more cardboard to suppress weeds and grass between rows. Dauphne will lead at 8 if I am not there early. We may have to quit before 11 if temps get too hot.
The watering crew have not had to water a lot but they have also done some weed whacking to keep paths open.
Anyone can help with watering at SJCA.
Contact Dauphne Trenholm for the schedule and instructions. 501-749-7786
Wednesday 6/18 from 9 to noon at 28 Talmage Drive - Digging trees already root-pruned and installing them in GrowinBags; Re-potting to larger quarters some of last year's seedlings; Root-pruning some saplings so we can dig them this Fall. Mostly working in the shade.
Tuesday 6/24 from 8:30 to 10:30 at 28 Talmage Drive More root-pruning and moving to larger pots and bags. Anyone who wants to can stay to hear Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer's seminar on Tree Equity (11 am-12 noon) and have some lunch. We will stream the seminar to the TV to make it easier to watch.
We are working with some groups who will be ready this Fall for trees to be planted – Rose Creek Park, The School for the Blind, UALR, three Community Gardens, and the street in front of Wilds Birds in the Heights.
More Work days coming up:
July 11, 17, 23, 29 August 8, 14, 20, 26 September 12, 18, 24, 30
Days of the week vary to make at least one day a month a possible fit for anyone’s schedule.
Getting the word out
Thanks to Tom Utley, we have been asked to speak about the Tree Replacement Project at the July Sierra Club meeting – July 15 6 pm at Star of India.
John Sommer tells me we will also be presenting the project at BioBlast in October.
Speaking of October, or rather Oaktober, Audrey Cobb is already hard at work making plans for this year’s celebration. We are talking to a few leads about another new Tree Trail, offering a documentary about oaks to interest groups, maybe a tree planting day, and where can we do a kickoff celebration on 10/1. Stay Tuned. Better yet, share some ideas, make some plans with your neighborhood or church group.
And help spread the word about planting trees. We can speak at any neighborhood meetings, or churches that have environmental interest groups. We have 3 PowerPoint presentations available - Tree Replacement Project about the creation and activity of the project, Arkansas Native Fruit Trees about the 9 fruit trees native to Arkansas, and Watering Techniques for Gardens about conserving and using water wisely.
When we speak at meetings, we can bring trees in pots with us to give away along with an offer to plant the trees in the fall.
Do you know of a group that might let us come to speak to members about having trees planted?
Kate Spontak Katetree.CAMN@gmail.com 501-500-3434 |