Plant it Vancouver!

Planting trees in NE Vancouver

By Katie Neis

We did it! Four Vancouver plantings scheduled this season, four Vancouver plantings accomplished! And they kept getting better and better. During the 2011-12 planting season, we added 328 new trees to homes and planting strips. All of the plantings had a delicious potluck lunch complete with desserts, fabulous soups, and some of the best cookies I have ever eaten.

This spring’s west Vancouver planting even broke out in music when one of the volunteers jumped on the piano to play for the hungry planters.

Every planting had over 100 volunteers who came from all walks of life. The Fort Vancouver Lions Club brought crockpot dishes and trucks to transport trees for the largest west side planting. As always, the City of Vancouver’s Restorative Justice Program pitched in, sending 5-10 strong youth to plant trees and learn about community. Numerous Scout troops attended, earning every bit of their tree planting badges by getting dirty alongside homeowners. Jeanne Stewart and Bart Hansen of the Vancouver City Council also planted with us. We couldn’t have accomplished all of this without our partner, Vancouver Urban Forestry, and our February planting sponsor, NW Natural.

Seize the Bagel donated bagels for both of our east side Vancouver plantings this season

If you live in Vancouver and want to get involved with your urban forest, come to Friends of Trees’ Neighborhood Coordinator Training in July, where you can learn about planting more trees in your neighborhood. Watch Friends of Trees‘ web site for the date, time and location of the training.

Also, on May 8, the City of Vancouver’s Urban Forestry program will start its NeighborWoods Stewards Program, which teaches everything from tree ID and proper tree care to natural area restoration. This is a wonderful program to learn the building blocks of trees. Submit your application now!

You can also join the City of Vancouver in celebrating Arbor Day at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 11, 2012. The celebration takes place at Vancouver’s new City Hall, 415 West Sixth Street.

–Neis is Neighborhood Trees Assistant for Friends of Trees.