Arbor Day activities to bring a bit of color to Coal City

By: 
STAFF REPORT

    Green is Coal City’s signature color, and with some help the town is bringing a bit of that color back to the village.
    It’s estimated the village of Coal City lost close to 50,000 trees when an EF-3 tornado blew ripped through the  town in June 2015.
    Having seen the impact the storm had on the local tree canopy Spring Grove Nursery, iTrees and ComEd wanted to help the community recover some of its loss, so they teamed up on an Arbor Day project by planting trees in the parkways of storm-impacted neighborhoods.
    It’s been a couple of years since that effort and they wanted to do more to assist the residents, so they partnered with the village and Trees Forever to bring a little more green to Coal City. On Friday, April 27 volunteers will plant 110 trees throughout the village, and two additional trees will be added to the campus of Coal City Elementary School.
    The village of Coal City obtained a $5,000 grant from Trees Forever and ComEd stepped up to pitch in an additional $5,000. In order to expand the number of trees available for planting the town officials pledged an additional $5,000, the goal was to get at least 100 trees planted.
    Mazon-based Spring Grove Nursery is supplying the trees at cost and iTrees is providing the equipment and manpower to dig the holes and assist volunteers from ComEd with the planting.
    This year’s program allowed residents from anywhere in the village to select up to two trees for planting anywhere in their yard or parkway at a cost of just $100 per tree.
    It didn’t take long for residents to place their orders and with a little extra assistance, the village was able to secure 110 trees.
    “It’s just so heartening and exciting when we can match up some of our skills to help our residents and those wanting to do some good, get some trees back in place and improve our community. I think we will have a lot of happy people by the end of Friday after so many trees are distributed and volunteers have assisted in planting so many beautiful trees,” said Coal City Mayor Terry Halliday.
    Additionally, ComEd has once again secured saplings for distribution to residents at no cost.
    The two-inch starter trees will be distributed from Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church’s Berst Hall located on the southwest corner of Carbon and Kankakee streets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until supplies have been exhausted.
    This year four different species—Eastern Redbud, Sweet Bay Magnolia, Dogwood and Buttonbush—will be handed out on a first come, first served basis for residents to plant in their yards.
    In addition to bringing a bit of green back to the community, Spring Grove Nursery owner Becky Thomas points out trees provide a number of benefits including reducing stormwater runoff, increasing property values, provide habitat for birds and other outdoor creatures, and increase the mental and physical health of humans.
    Arbor Day activities will begin Friday morning with the community-wide plantings. The day will wrap up with an education session and tree plantings at Coal City Elementary School  in the afternoon.

Pull out box
Free trees
    ComEd is sponsoring a tree sapling giveaway in observance of Arbor Day. Residents can pickup an assortment of the two-inch saplings to plant within their yard.
     Distribution will take place Friday, April 27 at the Assumption Berst Hall located on the southwest corner of Carbon and Kankakee streets. Trees will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until supplies have been exhausted.
Trees available are Eastern Redbud, Sweet Bay Magnolia, Dogwood and Buttonbush.