Fall tree campaign 2023!
Let’s get planting to restore the ‘park’ and the ‘forest’ in Franklin Park and Franklin Forest!
As many of you know, since 2015 UFA members Steve Lagerfeld and Mike Rapp (aka the Committee to Reforest the Forest😁) have mounted a special effort to make it cheap and easy for neighbors to plant new canopy trees, and this year they've outdone themselves!
They are offering sizable native elms, oaks, maples, and black gums delivered and planted in your yard for only $225! That's $55 less than last year and less than half what you would pay at a local nursery for exactly the same trees. (The price cut is possible because they've found a new and better supplier.)
And it’s easy! Just pick a tree and they’ll do the rest. Steve, whose family owned a nursery, will even come to your house to help you select the right tree and location. Who else makes house calls these days? They hire a professional crew to do the planting.
This is a volunteer, not-for-profit effort. We can all see why it's desperately needed. It seems like one of our magnificent old trees comes down every week, whether because of development or natural causes. Trees don't live forever. They need to be replaced! If our neighborhood is going to retain its character and not become a sun-blasted subdivision, we all need to plant trees!
You all know about the natural benefits. Trees provide shade, store carbon, cleanse the air, and are a vital source of food for birds. (Native trees host many varieties of caterpillars--which you'll never see!--that are the essential nutrients for baby birds.) A tree in your yard can boost your home’s property value. And, of course, trees are simply beautiful.
The trees on offer are as substantial as the savings, standing 7-10 feet tall and ready to grow a foot or more every year. They come in 15-gallon containers. Pick from these trees:
WHITE OAK - The most majestic oak, with a broad, well-branched canopy, it is also the most beneficial to wildlife.
WILLOW OAK - Notable for its slender willow-like leaves, this fast grower is well-suited to McLean’s poor soil.
PIN OAK - More pyramidal in shape than other oaks, with branches that begin fairly close to the ground, this popular tree grows quickly.
AMERICAN ELM - New disease-resistant varieties mean that we can bring back this beautiful, fast-growing American favorite.
RED MAPLE - A fast-growing favorite notable for its fall color, it needs room for its extensive surface roots
BLACK GUM - Also known as a tupelo tree, this beauty boasts glossy dark green leaves that turn a brilliant red in autumn, with orange, yellow, and purple sometimes mixed in.
The trees won't be planted until late October, but we need to know now if you're interested. If you are, please contact Steve directly at steve.lagerfeld@gmail.com or reply to ufa.mclean@gmail.com by this Sunday August 6. A firm order is not needed at this point, but they need to make a good estimate of how many trees will be needed. For logistical reasons, they have to restrict the offer to residents of Franklin Park and Franklin Forest. They will follow up with site visits soon with those who express interest.
Let's plant some trees!
