Over 50 Volunteers Helped Plant 60 Trees in Keyes Park Saturday

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Over 50 Volunteers Helped Plant 60 Trees in Keyes Park Saturday

A team of more than 50 volunteers battled the heat Saturday to help plant sixty trees in Keyes Park. The three-hour event was made possible thanks to volunteer efforts provided by the Tree Trust non-profit organization and City residents, and a Boise Paper grant. 

The planting project is one of the finishing touches to the summer-long renovation of Keyes Park.  The new trees will provide good shade for park goers and fill out the area nicely, said Kevin Hansen, director of public works.

“It really complements the overall park plan,” he said.

City officials applied for the Boise Paper Project UP grant in January. The grant, combined with coordination work provided by Tree Trust and the Arbor Day Foundation, is worth an estimated $34,000 and allowed the City to plant twice the number of trees than originally planned. 

Due to the emerald ash borer beetle’s destructive impact on local ash trees, the City has been applying for a variety of tree-planting grants like this to help renew the urban forest and diversify tree species, an effort that will take decades.  

The 13 different tree species planted Saturday include London planetree, skyline honeylocust, accolade elm, autumn gold gingko, boulevard linden, firefall maple, northern red oak, Kentucky coffeetree, river birch, black hills spruce, eastern red cedar, swamp white oak, and sunburst honeylocust.

Keyes Park is located at 1345 45½ St, Columbia Heights.
9-17-2018