We help plant trees for North Platte

For the third year in a row, Community Connections Mentoring planted some fall trees with North Platte Parks Director Lyle Minshull.

The project is funded by a mini-grant that Minshull requests each year. 

The Free Trees for Fall Planting is a collaborative effort of the Nebraska Forest Service and Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. The purpose is to help enable the planting of trees in fall, the best time of the year to plant them. 

Also, organizers say that the tree planting:

• Increases the resiliency of the community forest by promoting a broader diversity of native and well-adapted non-native tree species. A special emphasis is placed on the planting of reliable, yet underutilized trees species.

• Provides educational opportunities for people to learn more about trees and their proper selection, siting, planting and care.

• Celebrates trees and promotes the value of healthy trees for a healthy community.

This year, a Ginko tree, Catalpa tree, and a White Oak were planted on 16th St. 

Minshull taught the students about the proper planting depth and width of the hole in proportion to the root ball.  

This is one of many service and educational activities that Community Connections Mentoring pairs participate in each year, Mentor Coordinator Angela Hipp said.

Photo: Jace Kackmeister, Lyle Minshull, Cage Kackmeister watch as Rebecca Varner checks to see if tree is correct depth. Photo by Angela Hipp.