LEWISTON – Much of the work they do is on paper, so it was nice for the Community Forest Board to see some trees planted.
Members of the board were on hand in Auburn as city crews planted three trees in Drummond Street Park, and in Lewiston where city workers helped fourth-graders from St. Joseph’s School plant three lilac trees along Oak Street, at the back of the school’s playground.
It was a rare treat for Michel Giasson, vice chairman of the forest board.
“Our biggest objective is to teach people, homeowners, about the value of trees in the city,” Giasson said. The trees soften the urban landscape, turning hard concrete into something more friendly and inviting.
“Most of the time we plan, but occasionally we get to do something like this,” he said.
The board began in 2001 with members from both Lewiston and Auburn with the goal of promoting the Twin Cities’ “urban forest” – not the trees around Lake Auburn or No Name Pond, but the ones downtown and along city streets.
“The goal is to encourage people to put trees in parts of the cities that are not always considered the most attractive,” said board member Dave Griswold.
The trees were paid for with a $4,000 grant from the Maine Forest Service. The board has received grants before to plant trees and has offered seminars for homeowners on planting and keeping trees.
This is the first year for the Maine Forest Service’s latest grant, called Project Canopy. Board members hope people will notice the effect of the trees and will plant more on their own. Thursday’s planting was timed to coincide with Maine Arbor Week, which began on Monday.
At St. Joseph’s School, the three lilac trees replace a series of linden trees killed during the 1998 ice storm. The back play yard of the school was hotter and harder after the lindens were removed, Principal Andee Tostevin said. She hoped the trees, which should grow to about 25 feet tall, will bring some much-needed shade to the playground.
Giasson agreed.
“Looking up this street, it’s pretty raw,” he said. “These should soften the edges.”
Comments are no longer available on this story