Article by: Jen Young, NGRREC/L&C Marketing and PR, jenryoung@lc.edu
EAST ALTON – Volunteers are needed to help the
National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) and
the Three Rivers Project plant trees in Alton on Saturday, May 7.
“This spring,
Alton-based organizations will be planting trees purchased through a Recover,
Replant, Restore! (RRR) grant from Trees Forever,” Trees Forever Field
Coordinator Emily Ehley said.
The first tree
plantings will run from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Riverfront Park, located at Landmarks
Blvd and 1 Riverfront Drive, towards the playground area. The second
planting will go from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. at the Hampton Gardens located at 1402
Highland Avenue, between Hampton and Highland.
“Keep an eye out
for some edible plants, we will be planting paw paws, persimmon, American
hazelnut, blueberries and a variety of other fruiting trees and shrubs,”
Director of Environmental Education at NGRREC, Sarah Fisher said. “Not only are
we adding to the diversity of plant species in Alton, we are also providing the
opportunity for community members to benefit from the additional fruit being
provided.”
Throughout the
day volunteers will help plant 40 trees across the two locations. All necessary
tools will be provided but if participants have their own gardening gloves,
those would be great to bring along.
Anyone
interested in helping must register at https://conta.cc/36NIQSO to ensure the proper equipment is
available.
This event is
leading up to the main planting day, taking place on May 25 at Riverfront Park
and along the Broadway corridor in Alton Illinois.
After planting,
all newly added trees will be maintained and watered throughout the summer
months by volunteers and NGRREC staff.
“Once the trees
are planted, we’ll also need volunteers to water on a weekly basis throughout
the summer,” said Christine Favilla, Three Rivers Project Co-Coordinator. “This
is a perfect opportunity for individuals or families to choose their trees in
one of the five planting locations throughout town. This is also a great way
for small businesses to take care of a tree near their storefront.”
For more
information on summer tree care contact Favilla at christine.favilla@sierraclub.org .
This project is
also funded in part by Ameren Illinois, through their “Right Tree Right Place”
as well as Swarovski Waterschool USA: Mississippi River program, which operates
out of NGRREC.
“The City of
Alton has also been a wonderful partner, the work we are doing would not be
possible without their willingness and enthusiasm to help us with this effort,”
Fisher said.
For more
information on the May 7 volunteer day visit contact Fisher at (618) 468-2783 or saafisher@lc.edu .
For more
information on the Trees Forever grant visit https://treesforever.org/recover-replant-restore/ .
National
Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC ℠ )
Founded
in 2002 as a collaborative partnership between the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign and Lewis and Clark Community College, NGRREC is dedicated to
the study of great river systems and the communities that use them. The center
aspires to be a leader in scholarly research, education, and outreach related
to the interconnectedness of large rivers, their floodplains, watersheds, and
their associated communities.