Regreen Springfield Partners with Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts to Replant Central Street

New English Oaks line lower Central Street.


New English Oaks line lower Central Street.

The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts provided funding for the planting of new shade trees along Central Street, between Main and Maple Streets, in an effort to help restore the tree canopy destroyed by the June 2011 Tornado. Since the storm event, The Garden Club Federation has donated funding to plant over 70 new trees in Springfield. Regreen Springfield is enormously grateful to the kind generosity of the Federation, which represents garden clubs across the state.

On Saturday, June 13th, new columnar English Oak trees were planted, utilizing volunteers from Cathedral High School, as well as staff from the City of Springfield Forestry Division. The new trees are intended to provide cooling shade to the residential row houses on Central Street, while adding to the aesthetic and environmental quality of the neighborhood.

 

 Before and After photos of Central Street.


Before and After photos of Central Street.

 Volunteers maneuver a large English Oak into position for planting on Central Street.


Volunteers maneuver a large English Oak into position for planting on Central Street.

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‘Our City Forest’ Program Reaches City Students

IMG_7321The program is called “Our City Forest” – a free program for area students run by Springfield Parks Department, ReGreen Springfield, and the U.S Forest Service.

The thought is if they work with kids early on, it provides long-term benefits for students and the city. “The neat thing about this project here. It’s taken place in an area…an area of a lot of crime, but if we can have the youth focus in on projects where they won’t join a gang. The idea is to keep them out of the gangs, in school, enrich their education,” explained David Bloniarz of the U.S. Forest Service.

The mission is to use hands-on activities, like tree bingo, to learn what we can find in our own urban activities.  “What they can see in their own urban spaces.  We’re not looking at big deers or things like that.  We’re looking at raccoons, coyotes, birds, and all the other things they’ll see in Forest Park, Blunt Park, or Van Horn,” said Bloniarz. “It gives you a learning experience for life and to encourage you to do things to help out the community,” added 10-year-old Samara Abraham.

Click Here to learn more about the ‘Our City Forest’ program.

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