93 Volunteers Successfully Plant 215 Trees on A 2-acre Field in The Confluence Natural Area Near The Eno River
By Maggie Bailey, We Plant it Forward
On Monday, January 15, 2018, We Plant It Forward and the Eno River Association partnered to plant 215 trees at the Eno River Association’s Confluence Natural Area in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
Ninety-three volunteers from all over the Triangle area came out on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, a cold January morning, to reforest a 2-acre field along the East Fork Eno River. Volunteers planted trees and took measures to support the success of the tree planting by pulling up grass, laying down a biodegradable newspaper weed barrier and a couple of inches of mulch. To prevent deer from eating and rubbing away the bark, volunteers encircled each tree with a protective tube secured to the ground with a stake. The planting scheduled to go until 1pm, ended almost an hour early, because of the great volunteer turnout.
Volunteer and ERA board member, Pete Schubert, had this to say about the tree planting:
“Thanks for an amazing work day! Everyone was organized, busy, cheerful, and (hopefully!) warm. Congrats to a job well done! This was one of the most productive stewardship work days in terms of both work accomplished but also present (and future) Eno lovers created and engaged. I overhead many participants say that they plan to come back regularly to check on ‘their’ trees.”
We Plant it Forward is a program of Terra Vita, an environmental, educational non-profit organization that aims to build an open community network of people who will make tree planting an everyday practice. We Plant It Forward strives to nurture a way of life that moves communities from protecting and restoring the natural environment to nurturing a thriving natural environment. Services include planting trees, giving away tree seedlings and educating the community about the benefits of trees, showing people how easy it is to plant and nurture trees!
For more information, visit www.WePlantItForward.org.
The Eno River Association is a nationally accredited land trust that has protected more than 7,170 acres for public parks and natural resources conservation on private land in Durham and Orange counties. On December 19 the Association purchased 22.6 acres to expand the Confluence Natural Area, bringing it to a total size of more than 200 acres. The Association works to make the outdoors accessible and enjoyable for everyone. The Eno River Association offers service learning and curriculum-based education programs, guided hikes, and the annual Festival for the Eno, which draws thousands to the banks of the Eno River every July 4th weekend.
For more information, visit www.EnoRiver.org.
