Gift Trees: A planting to remember

Sue Staehli kneels behind her planted Western Redcedar. (Brian Black)

For the first time Sunday, Friends of Trees planted at Collins Sanctuary in Forest Park.

In a celebratory, invite-only planting, volunteers who gave or received Gift Trees came together on a crisp and beautiful December morning to plant trees in honor and memory.

While one goal of the day was to restore the structure and overarching tree canopy, for many planters—a few of whom came from as far as McMinnville—there were very specific, personal reasons for wanting to plant living roots into the soil.

As Sister Pat Nagle said during her short pre-planting benediction: “For in the tree of life, their roots and ours are forever intertwined.”

-To give the gift that keeps growing and see an example of the acknowledgment card please visit our web site. Order your customized card by December 15th to receive it before the holidays.

-Don’t despair if you’re a last-minute shopper like us. This year we also have pre-printed Gift Trees cards available in all seven Backyard Bird Shop locations and at our office.

-The next Gift Trees planting will be March 28, 2010, also at Collins Sanctuary.