Saturday, May 14 – Squirrel Ridge Park, Gainesville
Joined by members of the UF ABE (Agricultural and Biological Engineering) Gators, we planted nineteen trees at Squirrel Ridge Park, 1603 SW Williston Road, Gainesville: live oaks (Quercus virginiana), American sycamores (Platanus occidentalis), and winged elms (Ulmus alata).
Saturday, April 23 – Cuscowilla Nature & Retreat Center, Micanopy
In celebration of Earth Day 2022, we planted thirty trees – American elms (Ulmus americana), winged elms (Ulmus alata), and live oaks (Quercus virginiana) – and an extensive new butterfly garden at the Cuscowilla Nature and Retreat Center (formerly “Camp Cuscowilla”), 210 SE 134th Avenue, Micanopy. We were joined by several local organizations and businesses, including the Friends of Cuscowilla, BBI Construction Management, Blooming House Nursery, Grow Hub, Keep Alachua County Beautiful, and UF/IFAS’s Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program.
Sunday, March 13 – Freddy Warmack Park, Newberry
Joined by members of UF’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association, we planted fourteen trees In celebration of China’s Arbor Day (植树节, March 12), including live oaks (Quercus geminata), red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), sycamores (Platanus occidentalis), and winged elms (Ulmus alata). The trees were planted near Freddy Warmack Park, 24505 Newberry Lane, and at the intersection of West Newberry Road and NW County Road 235.
Saturday, February 12 – Oak View Middle School, Newberry
We planted twenty-eight trees – live oaks (Quercus geminata), Shumard oaks (Quercus shumardii), and pond cypresses (Taxodium ascendens) on the grounds of Oak View Middle School, 1203 SW 250th Street.
Friday, January 21 (Florida’s Arbor Day) – Newberry
Braving a chilly, blustery Arbor Day we planted fifteen trees – live oaks (Quercus geminata), red cedars (Juniperus virginiana), and winged elms (Ulmus alata) – at the Newberry Sports Complex, 24880 NW 16th Avenue. We were joined by City of Newberry elected officials and members of the local Rotary Club. Schoolchildren from the Oak View Middle School were entertained by a live reading of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax and demonstrations of tree planting techniques. UF-IFAS Extension Florida Master Gardener Volunteers gave away free saplings of several native species and provided instructions on their care.
Photographs by A. Ewert-Harpold, T. Harpold, C. Houder, D. Jordan, and S. Xie. / CC BY