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It
started with a phone call to the Spokane County Cooperative Extension
office in the fall of 2001. Carrie Anderson, a south side Spokane
resident, had received a grant to replace trees that were removed
when a nearby arterial was widened. Would the Master Gardeners be
interested in conducting some workshops to show her neighbors how
to plant and care for the trees? The answer was an enthusiastic
'yes!'
Master
Gardeners distributed flyers throughout the neighborhood, inviting
residents to free workshops at local schools. After receiving
some special instruction themselves, Master Gardeners trained
volunteers
and helped them dig holes for spring planting. Trees were planted
the following spring, but the project didn't stop there. Networking
brought more people, more organizations, more resources and more
neighborhoods into the act.
What became known as the Spokane Trees for Your Neighborhood Project
provided free trees and the knowledge on how to plant and take
care
of them to seven elementary schools, five Habitat for Humanity
homes and homes located in low-income neighborhoods. 'It just
kept getting bigger and bigger,' said Cinde Johnson, coordinator
of the
Spokane County Master Gardener program. By the end of 2002, more
than 160 residents became involved in the project and upwards
of
50 trees had been planted. That's not counting thirty Master Gardeners
who took active roles.
More
free trees were planted this spring, thanks to Anderson. 'Forty-five
trees were planted in residential yards, at community centers
and
the local YWCA Transitional School,' Johnson said. 'A dozen YWCA
children helped plant a flowering pear tree and sent Master Gardeners
a large thank you card decorated with their names and a tree
made
out of construction paper.' The source of Anderson's funding is
a grant from the New Priorities Foundation. Another 50 trees will
be available in 2004. Community development neighborhoods are given
priority.
Master
Gardeners receive special training in tree planting from a local
horticulturist. |
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Local
arborist trains Spokane Master Gardeners in pruning and maintenance.
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Eventually, the project will make up to three
free shade trees available to owners of 100 Habitat homes in
Spokane County. Master
Gardeners conduct pre-planting workshops and provide a variety
of handouts. 'Master Gardeners get down on their hands and knees
to demonstrate how deep to plant the root ball and how to spread
the roots around, so it's a combination of education and hands-on
training,' Johnson said. Master Gardeners encourage people to
plant trees that will thrive in Spokane's climate.
'We've
got a great deal of research from our Master Gardeners who
specialize in trees,' Johnson said. A lot of that research
has been compiled into a list of 100 suitable trees for the Spokane
area. Master Gardeners also have put together a handy tree
selection
guide to help homeowners select the right tree for their locations
and needs. The guide includes a worksheet to help users identify
site characteristics and personal preferences; a grid to identify
trees that match information on the worksheet; a cross-reference
of scientific and common names of trees; and several color photos
depicting each tree's form, fall color, foliage, bark, berries
and other features. Several pages of the guide are devoted to
selection of healthy trees at the nursery and successful planting.
The Spokane County Extension Master Gardener urban forestry project
was honored at the Master Gardener State Conference in the Tri-Cities
last year. 'It is a model for volunteer Master Gardener, community
and organizational cooperation,' Johnson said.
Dennis
Brown,
Information Department
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