GODFREY - Local volunteers came together to plant native trees at Glazebrook and LaVista Parks in Godfrey.
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On Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, students from Alton High School joined the Village of Godfrey and the Sierra Club Piasa Palisades chapter to plant trees as part of a “Recover, Replant, Restore!” grant from Trees Forever.
“It’s great to have the support of Godfrey,” said Virginia Woulfe-Beile with the Sierra Club. “We went to both the Parks Department and the Board of Trustees, and they were very supportive of it.”
Woulfe-Beile and Christine Favilla coordinate the Three Rivers Project, which emphasizes environmental education in the Riverbend region. They brought in a field ecology class from Alton High School to help plant the trees at the parks.
The Sierra Club worked with the Village of Godfrey and the Godfrey Sustainability Commission to secure the grant through Trees Forever. As a nonprofit, Trees Forever has many forestry initiatives across Illinois and Iowa. They provide “Recover, Replant, Restore!” grants twice a year to different municipalities.
“Trees Forever is an urban forestry-focused nonprofit,” explained Emily Ehley, the Illinois Program Manager. “We offer this tree planting grant every spring and fall. Godfrey just received this grant, but other communities in the region are welcome to apply. We’ll have this grant open again at the end of January for next spring.”
Ehley demonstrated how to properly plant a tree, and then the students got to work planting their own trees. Favilla noted the importance of this education. She hoped students learned more about biodiversity, native species and how to care for trees.
“We think it’s important for the youth to really understand the whole process of how you decide what tree goes where, how you plant it properly, how you take care and maintain it over the years,” Favilla said. “They really are starting to understand the benefits of natives…If you’re going to have biodiversity going up the food chain, you have to start with the caterpillars. That’s one thing we’re hoping the volunteers are learning. They’re doing this and then they can hopefully do it on their own.”
Woulfe-Beile said the Sierra Club and Village of Godfrey were “really intentional” about choosing native trees and finding the best spots to plant them. They hope the new trees will provide “shade islands” for park users to enjoy, reduce soil erosion, and add to the beauty and air quality of the parks.
“Planting native trees adds diversity to Godfrey’s tree canopy and will provide food and shelter for wildlife in our parks,” added Chris Logan, Director of Godfrey’s Parks and Recreation Department. “Trees provide critical shade amidst an ever-warming climate, improve air quality, and are essential to our ecosystems. We’re grateful to Trees Forever for providing funding to plant more trees in Godfrey.”
For more information about Trees Forever, visit their website at TreesForever.org. To learn more about the local chapter of the Sierra Club, including how to get involved, check out their official webpage.
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