EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) -- Over 100 people volunteered Saturday, all in an effort to add a little greenery in
West Eugene.
Around 120 volunteers took part in an Arbor Day tree planting on Saturday, April 7, 2012, out near the Lane County Fairgrounds.
The project was a collaborative effort between local residents and volunteer groups, student volunteers, even local utility companies. Together, the groups pitched in to plant 105 new native trees in Eugene’s West Jefferson neighborhood.
Most of the new trees line the bike path behind the fairgrounds in Jefferson Park. There are also lots of new trees on Chambers Street, near 13th Avenue.
Arborists taking part Saturday say the work is the first step in recovering from the recent March snow storm, which killed dozens of city trees.
“All of the groups here have been really generous and really want to contribute and be a part of something bigger than their group or themselves as individuals, to make this neighborhood and the overall community of Eugene a healthier and better place,” says Erik Burke, Director of the Friends of Trees group in Eugene.
EWEB donated 30 trees on Saturday; those trees were picked specifically for planting under power lines - they include Golden Desert Ash and Canada Red Chokecherry trees. Other species planted include a few California Black Oaks, Oregon White Oaks and Ponderosa Pine trees.
The collaborative effort drew volunteers from the University of Oregon’s Outdoor Program, Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, Jefferson Westside Neighbors group; also Friends of Trees, The City of Eugene, the Lane County Fairgrounds, Northwest Natural Gas and EWEB.
