Tallahassee Democrat
January 17, 2014
Photo by Stan Rosenthal, Tree planters from Arbor Days past
By Stan Rosenthal
If you have not been out to the Alford Arm Greenway you have been missing one of Leon County’s treasures. This is a beautiful 800 plus acre park that is owned by the State of Florida but managed by the very capable Leon County Parks Department.
Besides the great views, pretty woods, abundant wildlife, great trail system and many other recreational opportunities, the Alford Arm Greenway is now the recipient of help from another citizens group, Sustainable Tallahassee. This project is designed to not only create a beautiful promenade of live oaks to line the entrance trail of the park, but also to use trees to help reduce carbon in the atmosphere.
Live oaks, which have a life span sometimes as great as 250 years in this area, will provide a long lasting effect on the beauty of the Park. To accomplish this, we are inviting you, your friends, families, clubs, etc. to volunteer to plant these trees and be a part of history in celebration of this year’s Arbor Day.
The event will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday January 25th at the parking lot at the entrance of the J.R. Alford Greenway at 2500 S. Pedrick Road. Bring shovels, gloves, and drinking water to help plant the 110 live oaks provided by Sustainable Tallahassee.
To make it easier for everyone, the planting sites have been predug by Leon County Divisions of Operations and Parks & Recreation. This was done so you only need to lift the soil out of the ground instead of digging out hard packed soil. After you plant the tree, the Parks Department will keep the trees watered so they get properly established.
Mulch will also need to be spread under the trees, but this will be taken care of by Wolf Tree Inc. employees. They are under contract to the City of Tallahassee Electric Utility under the direction of Utility Forester Perry Odom. This morning they will generously unload and spread mulch after the trees are planted. Please be sure to thank them.
For more information, contact Tom Jackson at Leon County Division of Operations at 606-1417 or Chuck Goodheart at the City of Tallahassee Parks and Recreation at 933-6631.
Hope you can help us plant some trees, on the Saturday morning of January 25th. Together we can make this a fun and successful day with the fruits of your labor being enjoyed for generations to come.
Stan Rosenthal is an Extension Agent with Leon County/University of Florida IFAS Extension. For more information about gardening in our area, visit the UF/ IFAS Leon County Extension website at http://leon.ifas.ufl.edu. For gardening questions, email us at Ask-A-Mastergardener@leoncountyfl.gov
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