Dig-It welcomes planting season with tree event

Portland Parks & Recreation officially welcomed the planting season Saturday with its second annual Dig-It event, planting 28 trees at Mt. Tabor Middle School.

Organizer Karl Dawson of Portland Parks said the event was a success, thanks to the spectacular weather and great support from Portland Public Schools, Friends of Trees and Grey to Green.

“We were able to transform the school yard into a learning arboretum that students and neighbors can use to learn about tree varieties,” said Dawson.

Chad Honl, former Friends of Trees staffer and a volunteer since the beginning of the organization, received the Bill Naito Community Trees Award from Anne Naito-Campbell, in what he described after as a family centered event.

“The first tree I ever planted was with my father when I was six years old on a planting strip,” said Honl, “And it actually was a tree that my grandma had started from seed.”

“That was also a really inspiring thing,” added Honl, “(His grandmother) has passed since but this tree lives on in a planting strip over in North Portland.

The urban forestry award dates back to 1997, when Friends of Trees founder Richard Seidman received the first honor.

The current graduating class of the Neighborhood Tree Steward Program was also on hand to receive certificates of accomplishment. Friends of Trees was proud to participate in this valuable program, with our own David Odom and Greg Tudor doing guest lectures.

A special thanks to the Portland State University Men’s Club Soccer team, who volunteered to plant trees despite having a road game that evening at Lewis & Clark.

–TS