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Plenty Of Seedlings, But No Saplings

Posted Jan 18, 2007 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Jan 18, 2007 at 10:53 AM

By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT
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In order to keep the city’s beautiful tree canopy alive and thriving, the Temple Terrace Parks and Recreation Department will commemorate Arbor Day 2007 with a special program.
At Riverhills Park, 405 S. Riverhills Drive, residents of Temple Terrace and Hillsborough County are invited to come and grab a free tree Jan. 20 at 11 a.m.
Dana Carver, parks planner for the department, said Arbor Day is celebrated in April in many other places.
“We celebrate Arbor Day in January because the trees have a better chance for survival,” Carver said. “It is too dry here in April to plant trees.”
There will be about 500 trees of varying varieties including long leaf pine, southern red maple, bald cypress and red bud trees. Each seedling will measure from 12 inches to 2 feet tall.
Carver said the canopy of trees in Temple Terrace needs to be replenished.
“Here in Temple Terrace we have a great reputation throughout the state for having a beautiful tree canopy,” Carver said. “Trees are just like people, unless you replenish the supply the canopy will become old and thin out and then eventually it will be gone.”
“We just want to make sure the tree canopy continues,” Carver said. “If anybody in Hillsborough County wants a tree, we will be happy to take care of them.”
There are three reasons the parks department is working with T.R.E.E. Inc., which will provide all of the trees for the event.
“The first reason is to teach people the right tree for the right place,” Carver said. “The second is to have people plant native species of trees as opposed to exotic. The third is to continue to preserve and increase the tree canopy.”
Experts on tree care will offer presentations on tree care and planting.
“We will have two or three speakers give five- to 10-minute presentations,” Carver said. “They will talk about some aspect of tree or wildlife in or around Temple Terrace.”
Anyone taking a tree also will receive information about the culture of the tree including how much sunlight it needs, how big it will get and in what kind of habitat it grows best.
For more information, call the Temple Terrace Parks and Recreation Department at 989-7180.