A three-week campaign by two Wethersfield High School organizations to raise funds to replace some of the trees lost in Kewanee’s parks in a flurry of tornadoes that struck the city on July 15 more than doubled its goal.
Friday, officers of the WHS Student Council and FFA presented a check for $4,510 to Kewanee Park District Executive Director Andrew Dwyer at the school. Dwyer said, with a cost of approximately $300 per tree, depending on the species, that should plant about 15 new trees between 6 and 8 feet tall replacing the mature trees destroyed by the storm.
Dwyer said the trees will be planted in Windmont Park which sustained the heaviest tree loss from the storm.
The park district and the City of Kewanee have applied for a Trees Forever Recover, Replant, Restore grant to begin replacing trees in the district’s over 300 acres of parks, but Windmont was not eligible for the tree planting grant because it was not located in what Trees Forever classified as a “disadvantaged area.” Three other Kewanee parks hit by the storm, Chautauqua, Baker and Northeast, all qualified for tree planting funds.
According to its website, Trees Forever’s Recover, Replant, Restore! program “assists communities in central and southern Illinois to build healthy and diverse community forests.” Grants are available to Illinois communities “diversifying their community forests or recovering from natural or man-made disasters,” such as the one experienced by Kewanee’s park district.
Wethersfield’s fund drive began before the beginning of the school year. Business teacher and Student Council sponsor Tricia Lay was moved by the amount of damage at Windmont Park, as many in the community were. After seeing it up close while walking her dog there in early August she reached out to her Student Council officers for ideas on how they could help restore the park to its former beauty.
They settled on raising funds to purchase some new trees. Each Student Council member was responsible for raising $30 by either paying the amount or participating in a fundraising activity.
That set the goal at $2,000 which would pay for six or seven trees. Ag teacher Kate Rashid and the Wethersfield FFA Chapter were asked to join the effort since they have experience planting new trees on the school campus and could help with that aspect of the project. A deadline of Aug. 30 was set.
Students pitched in to clean up a vacant lot in exchange for a donation, worked at the concession stand for the Titans/Sherrard football scrimmage and held a bake sale and a spaghetti fundraiser at Community State Bank and La Gondola. Students said they were surprised at the positive reception they received. Most people gave generously and many congratulated them on their efforts.
Dwyer said he plans to plant a wide variety of species in the vacant spaces left by the tornado, but has a special tree picked out for the students — a quaking aspen.
The species is the most widespread and numerous hardwood tree in North America, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. The scientific name Populus tremuloides is translated into “poplar that trembles” (or “quakes” in the case of aspen). It is known for its white bark and green leaves that tremor in even the slightest breeze,” the colors of the bark and leaves representing Wethersfield’s school colors of green and white. The leaves turn gold in color in the fall.
Dwyer said the students’ trees will all be planted in Windmont Park and should arrive in early October. They will be invited to help plant them and will also be able to “be involved as they want to be” in watering and tending to the trees at the park which is only three blocks from the school.
Lay said they hope a plaque can be placed near one of the trees so their efforts will be recognized by future generations who visit the park.
