Hickory, white oak and Ohio buckeye trees were among the 10 being planted at Jack Edmundson Park in Aldan on Saturday by 16 volunteers as one of the Delco Loves Nature Week events.
Sarah O’Neill of the Aldan Tree Tenders said the focus Saturday was planting trees in public parks.
“Some of these trees are trees that I’ve grown from seedlings,” she said. “Some of them are trees that we’ve gotten from Upper Darby Tree Tenders or other (places).”
The event was part of America250PADelco’s Delco Loves Nature Week, which started Friday and ends Nov. 14.
The week offers volunteers opportunities for hands-on conservation work at nine locations, ranging from trail maintenance and park cleanups to habitat restoration to tree and shrub plantings to arboretum work, outdoor education and recycling.
Sarah O’Neill of the Aldan Tree Tenders digs a hole Saturday as volunteers wait to help plant a tree. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
O’Neill explained a benefit of being a part of Delco Loves Nature Week.
“Delco Loves Nature Week has actually brought people from outside of our community here to plant trees,” she said, adding, “We’re trying to make sure that this is accessible to people with families as possible because for us. It’s really important. There’s not very many nature-based educational activities in Delaware County.”
Leah Cevoli, program coordinator of America250PADelco’s Delco Volunteers, said Becky Robert of Scott Arboretum & Gardens presented the idea six to nine months ago about having an event in the fall.
“So, we pulled a team together with Aldan Tree Tenders, Scott Arboretum, Haverford College … and the only qualifier was they could do whatever they wanted as long as it happened during this week,” she added.
As of Saturday afternoon, there were 110 registered volunteers across all events, Cevoli said, adding that doesn’t include people who just show up to help.
Cevoli spoke about the weeklong event. For a list of upcoming events, visit www.america250padelco.org/delcovolunteers-1.
A sign on a tree at Jack Edmundson Park in Aldan tells the community the impact of tree planting. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
“We were looking for ways to connect the community outdoors, outside and to give back to Delaware County in some way but it was important for us to try and find organizations in all areas of the county so wherever you live, you don’t have to go too far.”
Besides the tree tenders, others involved in the week include the Delaware County Office of Sustainability, Glen Providence Park Friends, Newlin Grist Mill, Haverford College Arboretum, Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College, Natural Lands, Haverford Parks and Recreation and Darby Creek Valley Association.
“I was incredibly impressed that we got nine organizations to collaborate,” Cevoli said. “And of all the events and projects that we’ve done this year, this is the largest collaborative event.”
One of the hashtags she said they’ve used the most is #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors.
“Delco Loves Nature was the perfect example of that,” Cevoli said. “My hope is that this lives on. Delco Volunteers is looking to be the legacy project so we’re in talks right now that we might be able to keep it going.”
If it does, Cevoli said she’d like to have two Delco Loves Nature Weeks a year, one in the spring and one in the fall.
Volunteers came out to Jack Edmundson Park Saturday to plant trees as part of Delco Loves Nature Week. (KATHLEEN E. CAREY – DAILY TIMES)
She highlighted the vision behind the week.
“I think it’s important to get people outdoors in their neighborhood because you forget the beauty that’s in your own backyard,” Cevoli said. “I think sometimes, as humans, we’re quick to sometimes see what’s wrong. And getting outdoors, not only can we remember what’s beautiful in our backyards but it’s good for your mind, body and spirit. And come make a new friend!”
She highlighted the Aldan Tree Tenders part in it.
“Aldan Tree Tenders has just been wonderful because they have had so many trees and shrubs to plant over at the (Aldan) elementary school, they started early,” Cevoli said. “They’ve been having so many volunteers turn out, that they finished ahead of time with everything that they’ve been doing.”
That’s why Saturday the tree tenders were out at the grassy triangle of Providence Road, Providence Place and Ridley Avenue.
O’Neill explained that there initially was grant money for plantings at the Aldan Elementary School, including 30 trees and 110 shrubs.
“It’s a big project,” she said. “We made basically 10 beds, three trees for each bed and 11 shrubs in each bed. But, we finished that early because there were so many people.”
The trees will be planted in those beds on Nov. 14.
O’Neill said there had been six workdays scheduled for the Aldan Elementary School project, but they finished the work in two days because of the amount of volunteers that participated over the last five weeks.
On Saturday, Cevoli noted the diversity of ages in the Aldan Tree Tenders event.
“It was important to Aldan Tree Tenders … they wanted to make sure that no matter what age was showing up, there was something that they could do,” Cevoli said. “So, they have little kid gloves and little kid supplies.”
The finale for Delco Loves Nature Week and the Aldan Tree Tenders is Nov. 14 and they plan to celebrate with the planting of the 30 trees at the Aldan Elementary School.
“We’re going to try to celebrate all things tree-related,” O’Neill said, adding that there would be crafts for kids at that event starting, which starts at 10 a.m.