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Day 7: Rain Rain, Please don't go Away!
This morning I had my first planting in the rain. It was just a very slight drizzle, but I was excited to be in the rain. I started early, 7 AM, because the real rain wasn’t forecasted to get here until this afternoon. The rain will not only help the first seven trees already in the ground flourish, but hopefully soften the ground up for the next 23 days! Lets hope for some more of it!
Today’s planting was at the Julian Center, but before I get into that I wanted to talk about a special guest I had at the planting. One of my secondary goals of the month is to introduce more people to tree planting, show how easy it is, and let them know the dos and don’ts. Today I got to do that with my Dad! He was passing through for work, so he joined me for the planting. The only thing that would have made it better is if we were planting an Ohio Buckeye tree (he lives / I grew up in Columbus, Ohio). He was a huge help and it was just fun. Planting a tree makes a great parent / child activity. It is something you can do when your kids are young and then watch the tree grow and mature just like your children will.
Today's tree is going to provide some shelter at a shelter. My dad and I planted a Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) in the playground / park at the Julian Center. As this tree grows up (80 feet at maturity) it will provide shelter from the sun for families staying at the Julian Center. Years from now, when the tree is at least 10 inches in diameter, maybe the Julian Center could even do a tapping activity with its residents and produce its own maple syrup!
Who exactly will be sitting in the shade under this tree? The Julian Center provides a home and support services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other life crisis. Each year the organization reaches more than 5,500 victims and is one of the largest facilities in the country. Though it is a small gesture, I hope this tree will add a little happiness / relaxation into the day for the people at the center.
