Scouting, Volume 78, Number 6, November-December 1990 Page: 42
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sery planting seeds; seedlings are given
out to school children in a lesson in plant-
ing and care. Scouts also can help in
neighborhood planting programs led by
citizen foresters who are trained by Tree-
People.
To get a troop, pack, team, or post
involved, check to see if a tree planting
program is already underway in your
community. Your unit might fit right in.
Hundreds of local groups have joined
Global ReLeaf, a movement of the Amer-
ican Forestry Association. Its members
band together in groups as large as city-
wide associations and as small as the Salt
Lake City fifth graders who named them-
selves "Leaf It to Us." They received a
$2,500 Global ReLeaf grant to promote
tree planting at other schools. Global
ReLeaf's goal is 100 million trees planted
in U.S. communities by 1992. Scout units
may team up with local organizations or
become Global ReLeaf cooperatives
themselves for a fee of $25.
Get in touch with your state conserva-
tion, forestry, or environmental depart-
ment, because many states have pro-
grams that can help. Missouri's Operation
TREE (Trees Renew Energy and "Envi-
ronment), for instance, is providing seed-
lings to "junior naturalists" and awarding
grants for energy efficient landscaping.
All across the country, Scouts have
been cooperating with their hometowns
and the Elm Research Institute (ERI) in
restoring elm trees to America, in what is
probably the most far-reaching tree cam-
paign involving Scouts. In small plots
called Johnny Elmseed nurseries, troops
care for seedlings of the institute's dis-
ease-resistant American Liberty elm. In
two to three years, the Scouts transplant
the trees into the community.
A former Scouter whose four sons were
in Scouting, ERI's founder John R Han-
sel, says, "I think a troop should have
something ongoing to care for and care
about." That "something" in this case is
the elm project. With nearly 500 member
towns in 37 states, it is growing rapidly.
ERI expects to place one million elms by
the year 2000. A town or a college can
join, or a Scouting unit can initiate a
Johnny Elmseed Project by .contacting
the institute (see information at the end of
article) and presenting the plant to its
town or city council.
The alliance of Boy Scouts and elms
began with Shawn McNutt in Sebago
Lake, Me. Working on his Forestry merit
badge in 1983, Shawn measured and
mapped elms remaining in his area after
the ravages of Dutch elm disease. He sent
his results to ERI; they sent him 70 seed-
lings for his Eagle service project. That
led to ERI proposing the Johnny Elmseed
Project, approved by the BSA's Conser-
vation Committee in 1985.
Another Eagle, Ian Burns of Franklin,
N.H., planted a row of elms at Daniel
Webster's birthplace in 1986. An old pho-
tograph showed there had once been an
elm there. Ian's trees are now 16 to 20 feet
tall.
John Hansel talks about the impor-
tance of tree planting to Scouts. "You
have a living monument to your effort
there, and every year you're prouder and
taller. You've learned a great deal about
the history and the future of your town in
making these plantings. It's a legacy that
can mean a great deal."
It's quite a legacy when you think about
it. When you teach Scouts to plant trees,
Scouts have more
opportunities than ever to
join tree-planting programs.
you awaken a generation to the necessity,
the know-how, and the pleasure involved
in the effort. That will serve them well all
their lives. Their new knowledge and the
trees they plant, if well tended, will be
there to benefit their children and grand-
children.
Some points to think about when
Scouts plant trees:
• Before they start, make sure they know
why our planet needs their help.
Acquaint them with the environmental
slogan, "Think globally, act locally."
• Get local advice on selecting trees,
choosing sites, and the best season to
plant.
• Seek out sources for seedlings or finan-
cial backing from businesses. The
project's cost to your unit could be in time
and sweat rather than dollars, and it's
beneficial to raise community awareness
by asking for support in tree planting.
• Responsibility doesn't end when the
last shovelful of dirt is in place; provide
or arrange for watering and care. That's
where new trees are lost.
• Publicize your work by having a special
ceremony on Arbor Day (date differs
from state to state).
• Share your knowledge. Scouts can
become teachers for other tree planting
volunteers. Make it possible for people in
your community who can't physically
plant the trees to participate in other
ways.
• Widen the benefit. Get your feet wet
(and muddy) by starting small, then take
your ideas and expertise to your Scouting
district or council. Just think, a tree
planted for every Tiger Cub, Cub Scout,
Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, Explorer, and
Scouter means more than five million,
leafy, green, Earth-saving trees.
How to Plant a Tree. The American
Forestry Association has published new
recommendations for planting trees that
should promote faster growth and longer
life. Gary Moll, AFA's director of pro-
grams and urban forestry, has outlined the
procedure in an article in the March-
April 1990 issue of Forests.
The change is needed because, with
today's heavy construction equipment,
soil around homes is often compacted.
Instead of digging a simple hole which
may act as a pot and confine the roots,
using the new method allows the roots to
spread farther and should produce
healthier branches and foliage.
Moll says the planting area should be
wide but not deep. Loosen and mix the
soil in an area five times the diameter of
the planting ball, to a depth of about 12
inches. If you add organic matter, distrib-
ute it evenly.
Open a hole in the center. The tree
should sit on solid ground rather than on
loose soil, with the upper surface of the
root ball level with the existing soil. Place
the tree with the trunk straight up, and
remove rope or wire holding the burlap in
place.
Backfill the hole, but don't pack the dirt
too hard. You can use water instead of
your foot to settle the soil. Rake the soil
evenly over the entire area and spread a
two- to four-inch layer of mulch such as
bark, wood chips, old sawdust, pine nee-
dles, or leaf mold. Some mulches decom-
pose quickly; replenish once or twice a
year. Moll doesn't recommend building a
water-holding berm, as it may encourage
root growth to stay within it.
If a stake is needed, use a flexible one
so the tree can sway in the wind; move-
ment builds trunk strength. Remove the
stake and rope after one year, since leav-
ing rope around the tree can kill it. ■
For More Information
Contact:
• Global ReLeaf, The American For-
estry Association, P.O. Box 2000, Wash-
ington, D.C. 20013.
• The National Arbor Day Foundation,
100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, Neb.
68410, (402) 474-5655. (The foundation
offers information and a fundraising pro-
gram; groups can sell a selection of eight
trees.)
• Elm Research Institute, Harrisville,
N.H. 03450, (800) FOR-ELMS. (Cali-
fornia, parts of Oregon, and parts of
Nevada do not allow importation of elm
seedlings.)
42
November-December 1990 Scouting
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 78, Number 6, November-December 1990, periodical, November 1990; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353650/m1/42/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.