SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — What now rests beneath a blanket of snow will soon spring to life, as new plantings will eventually take root along the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail in a project honoring America’s 250th anniversary.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority is teaming up with the Lackawanna County Conservation District to launch a native tree and habitat restoration project this spring.
The effort will focus on a section of the Lackawanna Heritage Trail between the 7th Avenue and Broadway trailheads.
Planning to plant 250 native trees and shrubs in honor of America’s 250th anniversary, Owen Worozbyt, Director of Operations at Lackawanna Heritage Valley, shared what the restoration project entails.
“The idea came about from another person in the office, to do some native plantings of what the river and the riverbanks of the Lackawanna River would have looked like when the nation was founded back in 1776,” said Worozbyt.
“So, the project really entails planting a lot of native species of things that would have existed along this corridor, naturally, so that it will create a lasting impact on the on the environment and the trail in the community and always be a memory for the 250th,” said Worozbyt.
Focusing on restoring the landscape to its original appearance, Worozbyt explained that planting will begin with native species such as eastern white pine, American chestnut, rhododendron, and mountain laurel along the river corridors.
“We’re working with the Lackawanna County Conservation District to acquire all of the different plants. And what we’re planning on doing is once they come in, sometime around Earth Day, the end of April into May, we anticipate doing most of the plantings. And we primarily plan on doing that with volunteers that are interested, people that want to come out and get involved and give back to the community. It’s all going to take place along the Heritage Trail in Scranton between the 7th Avenue trailhead and Broadway Street,” said Worozbyt.
Worozbyt added that the trail holds special meaning for many visitors, regardless of the season.
“The Heritage Trail, specifically in the Scranton area, is used by hundreds of thousands of people on a regular basis. The area where we’re standing is used for almost every single 5-K. It’s part of the half-marathon course. So, there’s lots of people that do utilize the sections of trail and even in the middle of winter, you see people out just get getting ready for upcoming races or going for a walk with their pets just to get out on a nice day like today,” said Worozbyt.
The restoration project is scheduled to commence this spring, with the planting of newly planted trees and shrubs aimed at reducing erosion, filtering stormwater runoff, and protecting the river and its surrounding wildlife habitat.