From email:

As I mentioned last night at the OHNA meeting, from 2002 until Marty Jewell was elected, over 400 street trees were planted in Oregon Hill. Despite humble requests to our councilperson for budget consideration to continue this progress, all communication was ignored so only trees planted were by privateers during that period.

We have a chance to make a new start in this area with no money needed, only volunteer labor. Although trees will be small, with care they will grow to provide us with many benefits as urban dwellers.

I have included the schedule and details below for a tree giveaway sponsored (ed.- I have edited out for this post, we don’t need competition for the trees!)

In order for us to make the most of this opportunity, a 5 step volunteer process is necessary and you are very welcome to help out in one or all of these areas as follows:

1. Identification of empty prospective tree well sites. If you need a tree near your house or would care to inventory our tree stock and come up with suggestions, that would be great and report back would need to be done in the next 2 weeks or so.

2. Preparation of identified tree wells. Unfortunately since we dont have a stump grinder, only clean, non stumped sites will work (unless you want to rent a grinder). It is necessary to dig up and loosen dirt in the wells BEFORE HAND so everything will go smoothly for the planting. This is the hardest part (but not that hard).

3. Pick up of trees at site. We need a good idea how many we need and what types of trees. 10 allowed per person and we need to get there early.

4. PLANTING. Oh the joy! Kids especially welcome! Supervision by tree stewards available.

5. AND MOST IMPORTANT! We need volunteers to adopt the baby trees and water them during the dry times. They should get 15 gallons a week during the dry months and this is essential to their survival for the first couple years. They will pay you back with MANY benefits!

If you can help, please email me, Todd, at or call and leave a message at 783-8829 giving me your name and contact info. We will have 1 or 2 short organizational meetings along the way and I will keep you advised on this group and hopefully on the blogsite. Time is tight!

Todd.