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May 03
2011
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Nothing gets the week started like planting 230 trees along the shores of the South River, and that is exactly what happened yesterday! Over 50 volunteers worked hard to reforest a steep slope along the community of Heritage Harbor, an area between the Route 50 bridge and Broad Creek. A portion of the slope had unfortunately been poisoned, killing all of the existing trees and shrubs, as seen in the picture below. The slope needed to be replanted, not only to restore native habitat, but also to prevent soil erosion and to help stormwater better infiltrate the ground.
We began bright and early with a few very dedicated volunteers, who arrived at 8:00 a.m. to help transfer all 230 trees and shrubs to the project site. With the expertise of the Watershed Stewards and a CCC member, many of the trees and shrubs were placed on the slope to prepare for the arrival of the volunteers. While the volunteers were arriving with shovels and gloves, Watershed Steward, Lara Mulvaney, instructed everyone on proper techniques of tree planting.
By 10:00 a.m., over 50 enthusiastic volunteers, including 11 of the Chesapeake Conservation Corps members, had gathered to hear Congressman Sarbanes address the crowd and express his commitment to the environment. After his speech, the volunteers spread out over the steep slope with shovels and LeafGrow inhand and got right to work. In order to get the trees and shrubs safely down the hill, volunteers formed human chains to quickly distribute the remaining trees. In only three hours, our impressive volunteers had planted all 230 trees and shrubs.
When everything was said and done, the slope looked beautiful! I cannot wait to get out on the boat and see how it looks from the river! The day ended with a delicious hamburger and hot dog cook-out, generously provided by My Butcher & More, tasty cookies donated by DoubleTree Hotel Annapolis, and water provided by Keeper Springs Natural Spring Water.
We want to send a big thank you to all of you who helped make this event a huge success! Our 50+ volunteers included: Chesapeake Conservation Corps, CBT, Watershed Stewards, DoubleTree Hotel staff, Heritage Harbor Residents, SRF board members, and many other wonderful community members!
