Asbury United Methodist Church planted
a mix of 50 shade, flowering, and evergreen trees on their
property on April 24th, 2014. The day of the tree
planting was perfect with clear sky and temperature in the
low to mid- 80s. The event began in the afternoon at 1pm
following 11 am worship service. Elizabeth Basham, Urban
Forester with WV Division of Forestry, provided a briefing
on the significance of trees. Also, the proper planting and
care of the trees was covered for the volunteers.
Following the briefing the volunteers
were divided into small groups to begin planting the trees.
There were 45 volunteers including adults, seniors citizens,
young adults, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, elementary age youth,
and more. Additionally, they were fortunate to have a few
volunteers help with tasks such as digging holes a few days
prior to April 24th. Pizzas, water, and drinks
were provided for the volunteers.
The trees were planted around the
perimeter of the Asbury UMC property located in
Shepherdstown, WV. This project was one phase of a plan to
restore the landscape following major building construction
at the 5-acre campus.
A word from the Project Leader, Clark
Dixon:
“I think my favorite of the project was
planning the event with Elizabeth Basham, the WV Project
CommuniTree Liaison assigned to the project. Elizabeth was
easy to work with, knowledgeable, and very professional.
Her assistance was invaluable. “