Students from Kirkwood High School’s Environmental Club pitched in for the 50 Trees
planting project.
by Don Corrigan
Soggy weather on Saturday, Nov. 9, didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of a self-styled tree-planting brigade. Tree partisans met at Kirkwood Park’s Campbell shelter at 9:30 a.m. and fanned out to plant 65 trees.
Delivery trucks arrived near the shelter early in the morning loaded with trees, mulch, and implements. The green cargo, dropped off at the maintenance yard, was then transferred to more than eight tree planting sites.
Seasoned tree planters were joined in their arbor efforts by a markedly younger work crew. The Kirkwood High School Environmental Awareness Club showed up in force. More than a dozen members arrived early for tree planting duty.
“It was great to have them helping us,” said Kirkwood’s Nancy Luetzow. “Any time I mingle with our high school students, my spirits are lifted by their energy, intellect, and enthusiasm. It’s always heartening.
“Our tree group is never deterred by a cool, cloudy, or clammy start to the day,” added Luetzow. “If anything, the recent 10 inches of rain and the additional showers Saturday, made our job easier and gave the new trees a good first drink.”
Dedicated tree hugger Kathy Paulsen said the environmental club students worked on a special planting project at Kirkwood Park, arranged by park horticulturist Sebastian Kaiser. Paulsen said their work drew high praise from Mayor Liz Gibbons.
“This work is critical, not only because we’re the Greentree City, but also for our health, shade, habitat, and aesthetics,” said Paulsen. “Kirkwood’s canopy is aging and impacted negatively by both the weather and development.
“If we want to pass on a healthy environment for future residents, we need to take action and cultivate this legacy for future generations,” she added.
Paulsen and Luetzow gave kudos to the city parks and forestry staff and Dave Haring of Sundown Landscape Contracting. They said Haring donates mounds of mulch, delivers trees, and then personally digs and literally plants several trees himself.
50 Trees Program
The Saturday morning effort was a combined project of the Street-tree Program and the Keep Kirkwood Green organization. In 2010 the groups marked the 50th anniversary of the annual Kirkwood Greentree Festival first held in 1961.
The festival was launched to call attention to the value of the city’s trees and serious tree loss caused by drought and Dutch elm disease. Festival-goers could purchase trees for $1 each, according to Luetzow.
Of the thousands of trees bought and planted at the city’s festivals, most flourish to this day. Kirkwood has been recognized with a Tree City USA designation by the Arbor Day Foundation and has held the title since 1992.
The 50 Trees planting campaign is a more recent effort to sustain the city’s tree canopy. To date, more than 1,000 trees have been planted and more were added during this year’s one-day planting blitz.
Because the Emerald Ash Borer invasion has required the removal of many ash trees by the city and by individual owners, tree advocate programs are now essential to maintaining Kirkwood’s street-tree population.
“As we increasingly experience the effects of climate change and tree disease, it becomes even more important to preserve and grow our tree canopy,” said Luetzow. “Trees produce oxygen, provide cooling shade, and create breathtaking beauty.”
Many of the trees planted are identifiable by yellow tags showing the species ID and the year they were planted. As the primary focus of Keep Kirkwood Green, the 50 Trees program is funded solely by private cash donations.
For more information about the arbor planting effort, to nominate a planting site, to make a donation, or to become a volunteer, email questions to KeepKirkwoodGreen@gmail.com.
Environmental Echo 