Valley High students among volunteers planting trees in New Kensington
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Volunteers turned out to plant trees in New Kensington on Tuesday, and they’ll be needed to plant more on Saturday.
Students from Valley High School; members of the Pucketos Garden Club; and volunteers from Sunnyside, a medical marijuana dispensary, were among those who joined staff from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to plant trees Tuesday at JFK Playground and along Campbell Avenue.
Three trees that were intended for the Fourth Avenue playground will instead be planted at Summit Street Park by a contractor Friday, said Brian Crooks, a forester with the conservancy. Crooks said they could not be planted at the playground because of a conflict with an electric line.
Two dozen trees are being planted in Fairmont Park. Two that were too big for volunteers to handle already have been planted, leaving 22 for volunteers to plant between 9 a.m. and noon Saturday, Crooks said.
Those interested in volunteering can register in advance by emailing community forestry coordinator Alicia Wehrle at awehrle@paconserve.org or calling 412-586-2386. Volunteers also can just show up that day, Crooks said.
Crooks said the weather for Saturday is looking great, with temperatures in the 70s and no rain.
“We might still be a little low on volunteer numbers,” he said. “I’d like to encourage more to come out and join us on Saturday if folks are available.”
One or two more tree plantings are expected in the spring as part of a conservancy project that included tree education classes and an inventory of trees in public spaces in the city.
Crooks said the conservancy will work with the city’s Shade Tree Commission to ensure the trees are watered next summer.
“They’ll be well cared for and well watered and grow into nice, big, happy trees,” he said.