Over 60 volunteers planted 165 trees along the Dakota Trail on Saturday, May 16, 2009 to transform the area into a family-friendly green space and improve the environment.
Tree Trust organized the planting as part of our Green Futures initiative, which turns charitable donations into trees. With the help of a dollar-for-dollar match from a local foundation, Tree Trust launched Green Futures to plant 5,000 trees in parks and neighborhoods throughout the Twin Cities metro area over the next five years.
The site of Saturday's planting is part of the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority corridor, which spans across the Twin Cities metro area and is used by thousands of walkers, runners and bikers each year. Tree Trust has been involved in planting and maintaining trees along this trail system for more than 10 years.
Volunteers planted these 165 trees in Spring Park just one day after emerald ash borer was confirmed to have crossed into Minnesota. Neighboring states have already lost tens of millions of trees to this insect, which destroys ash trees when its larvae feed on the inner bark and prevent the transportation of nutrients.
"This threat to Minnesota's 900 million ash trees echoes the devastation caused by Dutch elm disease in the 1970s - it's the very crisis that led to the creation of Tree Trust," said Dave Hawes, Tree Trust CEO. "Our Green Futures initiative allows people to take an active role in combating the effects of emerald ash borer-planting tomorrow's trees today."
Tree Trust's planting gave local residents a hands-on opportunity to play a tangible, lasting role in the greening of their own community.
Learn more about Green Futures.
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