Planting community roots

When you become part of the Power To Be community you quickly learn that our work and our passion stretches beyond our programs. We are called upon as a resource, a connector, a steward for the land and a greater force of good.

As such we were gifted more than 300 fir and cedar tree saplings by TimberWest this year. With instructions to get them in the ground as soon as possible, an environmental initiative turned into a community-based stewardship project. Our Director of Programs, Jason Cole contacted several of the site partners we work with and offered them some samplings which were graciously accepted and planted.

At our Prospect Lake site, we invited three community groups and their staff to join in on planting trees. Each group was given an area that was theirs to design where the tree would grow. Creating names such as the Mosaic Grove and Inclusion Landing, this activity connected our participants to the land and helped build a sense of place. The groups had varying needs and together they supported each other to dig holes, create protective fencing around the cedars and nourish the soil with nutrients and water.

Getting our hands and feet filled with dirt reminded me of how simple yet valuable it is to contribute to a healthy landscape that you can go back and see time and time again. This event also gave us the chance to see our Prospect Lake site running multiple programs at the same time and the electric energy that comes with that is one we want to repeat. Having more than 30 people plant more than 60 trees at the same time but in different locations offered us a chance to see how we can still have intimate programs and create social opportunity over meals and breaks.

Thank you to TimberWest for the opportunity to add more trees to the landscape we share, and to our community partners for joining us in creating new habitat to explore.

 – Story shared by Carinna Kenigsberg, Program Manager