To the Editor:

Inland Woods + Trails, a non-profit dedicated to increasing economic prosperity through the development of recreational trails, hosted four days of volunteer tree planting in the Bethel Community Forest in April and May. Over the course of those days nearly 10,000 trees—a variety of pine, spruce, red oak and maple—were planted. The trees were made possible through a grant by One Tree Planted, a Vermont-based non-profit focused on global reforestation.

Volunteers hiked over a mile to the planting site, an area that was heavily logged by the previous landowners. They worked together in pairs or families to dig holes, tuck the roots in, and fold the soil back. For the deciduous trees, they placed a tube around the sapling, protecting the tender buds from becoming snacks for deer.

This was truly a community effort; without the help of the following volunteers the planting would not have been the success it was: Alex Carr, Alice Ford, Amy Lawrence, Amy Scott, Andrew and Kamal Distell, Andy and Cheryl Shackett, Ann Speth, Barbara Leonard, Bill, Barb and Sierra Toomey, Ben and Tim Kamilewicz, Bill White, Brendan and Aoewyn Schauffler, Cathy Heffernan, Chloe McIntosh, Cindy Mingle, Conner Desmond, Constance and Gary Hayward, David Walker, Dot Kelly, Elizabeth and Tom Shepherd, Gabe Andrews, Hateya Levesque, Jack and Will Colby, Jackson Morrell, Jeff and Sara Sloan, Jessie Perkins, Jim Reuter, Jean and Mitch Benedict, Jeff Newsom, Jennifer Burgess, Joan Frost, John and Jeanne Wholey, Jonathan and Kate Goldberg, Kate and Rick Slattery, Kristin and Bill Graham, Laura Allen-Tummon, Marie and Brent Carey, Mary, Brian and Turner Smith, Matt, Hazel and James Redman, Max, Peter and Sarah Southam, Megan, Elsie and Gretchen Heon, Mike Richard, Mike Wilson, Morgan Zetts from Telstar Freshmen Academy, Nancy Babcock, Paige, Teddy, Jocelyn and Foster Crockett, Renny MacKay, Richard Stratton, Rosemary Wiser, Sarah, Will, George and Pete Klein, Sarah, Isla and Lucas DeCato, Sarah Kamilewicz and her Gould Academy Environmental Science class, Stephen Greene, Tara Pocock, Wendy Hanscom, and Victor Salvo. A special thank you to Ed Easter, Inland Woods + Trails Vice President and Chair of the Bethel Community Forest Management Team, for his countless hours preparing for the event as well as three straight days planting trees. Thanks to local photographer Craig Angevine at Yeah Bud! Photography for joining us for part of the morning on May 14. Thank you to the Good Food Store & Catering Co. for providing us with delicious lunches for the May event.

Inland Woods + Trails looks forward to a summer full of trail building and stewardship; if you are interested in volunteering for making a contribution to the trails, or to monitor the tree seedlings progress please visit our website at woodsandtrails.org.

The Staff at Inland Woods + Trails

Bethel

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.