MIDDLETOWN >> The Lake Area Rotary Club Fire Relief Fund has organized a one day tree planting project at Middletown Trailside Park and is looking for volunteers to come help plant 3,000 trees.
Sponsored by the Lake Area Rotary Club Fire Relief Fund, the event will be held on Saturday, March 25, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Middletown Trailside Park, 21044 Dry Creek Cutoff in Middletown.
Shortly after the Valley Fire raged through the south end of Lake County, several non-profit organizations established Fire Relief funds. Two of them, the Lake Area Rotary Club Fire Relief Fund and #LakeCountyRising, recognized the sheer devastation to the forests in the affected areas.
In early October 2015, they collaborated with Charlotte Griswold, President of the Lake County Resource Conservation District (RCD), Greg Giusti, County Director and Forestry Advisor for UC Cooperative Extension, and Korinn Woodard, District Conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation District (NRCS). With funding provided by these two fire relief funds, the RCD arranged for the propagation of 100,000 native conifers for distribution to property owners in the affected area.
The trees required a year of growth and are now ready to plant.
As part of the project, it was agreed that several thousand of the trees would be set aside for a community tree planting project and the Middletown Trailside Park was identified as the appropriate location for such a project.
Volunteers are encouraged to bring shovels and other tree planting implements, wear appropriate attire (long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toed shoes), bring water and sturdy gloves. A BBQ lunch will be provided.
It is requested that volunteers RSVP to jennifer.strong@investmentcenters.com with the approximate number of people planning to attend.
