Arbor Day

Gentry to observe day with special tree-planting events

— Arbor Day will be observed in Gentry Thursday, with trees being planted on the Gentry Primary School and Intermediate School campuses.

Trees will be planted at 10 a.m. on the Primary School campus and at 12:30 p.m. on the Intermediate School campus. Students at the schools will assist with the planting activities.

Gentry Mayor Wes Hogue, city council members, Gentry Chamber of Commerce director Bev Saunders, urban forestry coordinator Patti Erwin of the Arkansas Forestry Commission, Scott Carney and Terry Stanfill of SWEPCO and Delia Haak of the Illinois River Watershed Partnership are also scheduled to be present for the special event.

A special Illinois River Watershed Partnership concert, featuring Marshall Mitchell, will be held on both campuses Friday - 10 a.m. at GPS and 2 p.m. at GIS. Mitchell will entertain the students and sing about protecting area rivers and streams with riparian buffers.

More tree planting activities are planned for 9 a.m. through noon on Saturday morning at the Eagle Watch Nature area. Plans are in place to plant trees along the Little Flint Creek, which passes through the nature area and into SWEPCO Lake. The trees are being planted to preserve the riparian buffer and to provide wildlife habitat along the nature trail. Volunteers from the Bloomfield 4-H Club, GentryNational Honor Society, the Gentry School’s Science Club and from the general public will plant the trees at Eagle Watch Nature Area.

Trees will also be planted Saturday on private lands owned by the Feemster Family along the Flint Creek near Arkansas Highway 59. The Gentry High School Cheerleaders will assist in this planting.

The observance of Arbor Day in Gentry and the tree planting activity is all a part of a move by the city to become a Tree City U.S.A. In a proclamation, Gentry Mayor Wes Hogue proclaimed March 11 Arbor Day in the city.

Working with the Gentry Chamber of Commerce and the city councils of Gentry and Springtown, the Illinois River Watershed Partnership obtained a grant to help establish a riparian buffer along the Flint Creek and its tributaries in the Gentry and Springtown area. Flint Creek is a tributary of the Illinois River and a part of Illinois River watershed. The buffer is to help prevent runoff of fertilizers and chemicals into the waterways and improve the quality of the river.

A tree survey was completed by urban forester Peter Rausch. The city plans to consider and adopt an ordinance establishing an advisory committee to serve as a tree board. The board would help the city develop a tree management plan and establish guidelines for the planting, care and removal of trees which are on public and city-managed properties.

The Gentry tree-planting project is a part of the 2010 riparian project organized by the Illinois River Watershed Partnership.

In a press release, IRWP invites the public to participate in the 2010 Riparian Project to be held from 9 a.m. until 12 noon on Saturday, March 13, and explains the project’s purpose and goals as follows:

What is a riparian buffer? A riparian buffer is the area of land next to a creek, stream or river - the stream banks and floodplain area. In nature, riparian buffers can include trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers.

Why are riparian buffers important? Riparian buffers decrease stream bank erosion, filter sediments and pollutants commonly found in runoff, provide storm water storage, increase wildlife habitat, provide cooler water and air temperatures and increase groundwater infiltration. Riparian buffers provide environmental and recreational benefits to creeks, streams and rivers, and improve water quality and downstream land areas.

How can one participate? The public is invited to volunteer at one of the six locations listed below. Activities will include planting green ash, bald cypress, and short-leaf pine seedlings as well as cleaning up trash and debris.Snacks and drinks will be provided. To volunteer, email [email protected] or call (479) 238-4671.

Locations

Fayetteville - Clabber Creek, meet at Holt Middle School, Rupple Rd.;

Gentry - Little Flint Creek, meet at Eagle Watch Nature Trail, Hwy. 12 West;

Rogers - Turtle Creek, meet at Home Depot northwest parking lot, I-540 Pinnacle exit;

Siloam Springs - Sager Creek, meet at La-Z-Boy Ballpark fields;

Springdale - Spring Creek, meet at Grove Street Park;

Tahlequah - Townbranch, meet at Felts Park, Basin Ave.

Partners in the projects are: Cities of Fayetteville,Gentry, Rogers, Springdale, Siloam Springs, Tahlequah, Arkansas Forestry Commission, Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission, Wal-Mart Stores, Sam’s Club, Chick-Fil-A, Snapple, Simmons Foods, Tyson Foods, George’s Inc., Arkansas Farm Bureau, The Nature Conservancy, Lake Fayetteville Watershed Partnership, UA Ecological Engineering Society, Sager Creek Advisory Commission, Razorback District Boy Scouts, Bloomfield and other 4-H Clubs.

News, Pages 1 on 03/10/2010