Our community's air, quality of life and property values got a little bit better over the weekend with the planting of 26 shade trees along our streets this past Saturday, October 29th. In what is hoped to become a yearly event, the First Annual Emerson Heights Neighborhood Tree Planting was held on Saturday, October 29th. With the help of Nate Faris, Program/Operations Manager with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB), and 29 volunteers, a variety of trees were given a new home in our neighborhood.

The trees came to us from a grant through KIB as part of their Trees for Tomorrow program. KIB, who partnered with Indianapolis Power & Light and Indy Parks, provided 26 trees, mulch (used to surround the trees), and the tools needed to get the trees planted. Faris delivered the trees and used an auger to dig the initial holes on the Friday before.

Tina Jones, Vice-President of EHCO, was the driving force behind the grant. Jones has been working on this project for two years. During 2003, she had collected names of residents interested in getting a tree and had applied for a grant for a 2004 planting. However, the grant was denied. Determined to get trees in 2005, Jones reapplied in the fall of 2004 and that grant was approved. When asked why this grant was so important to her and to our neighborhood, Jones replied that trees help beautify the neighborhood. She stated that many of our trees were planted when our houses were built (1920’s through the 1940’s). Some of those trees have died and needed to be replaced. Jones stated that her main focus this year was to replace trees in the historic esplanades and to line Emerson Avenue because it is one of our most visible boundaries.

Jones has already applied for a grant for 2006 for 45 trees and has received verbal confirmation from KIB that the grant has been approved. The number of trees and whether the planting will occur in the spring or fall has yet to be determined.

The tree planting was followed by a luncheon for the volunteers in the basement of the Wallace Street Presbyterian Church. Crystal Allison, Rebecca Seifert, and Judy Wilson-Bailey donated their time to prepare the food and setup seating for the luncheon.

The luncheon was made possible from monetary and food donations from neighbors as well as donations from area businesses. Chad Brown, manager of the Linwood Kroger store, donated hot dogs, hot dog buns, chips, and sodas. The Steer-In donated pies. Some goods left over from the spring clean-up was also used.

A huge THANK YOU goes out to everyone who made the tree planting and luncheon a success. We could not have done this without you. A special THANK YOU to Dean Walters who negotiated with the church to allow us to have the luncheon there and to Jim Schrum for taking care of the Post-Tree Planting Clean-Up. A very special THANK YOU goes out to Chris Baas and his son, Russell, and to Michael Clements. These gentlemen do not live in our neighborhood but believed this to be a worthy cause and volunteered. And a very, very special THANK YOU to Russell Baas and Rory Burke, both four years old, for giving up Saturday morning cartoons to help out.

We hope the Second Annual Emerson Heights Neighborhood Tree Planting in 2006 will be bigger and better. With your help, we can do it. If you are interested in receiving a tree next year, contact Tina Jones at 351-0905.

Please remember to water the trees, especially the next several weeks. Revitalization is in the air!

Here are some pictures from the tree planting:

Tree Planting Photos