MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Meridian Township Tree Team hosts a Community Tree Planting Day to plant several dozen native trees on Saturday, October 3rd from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm at Chippewa Middle School.

50 Volunteers came dedicated and ready to help and divided into 10 different teams while maintaining social distancing and wearing a mask due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

HOMTV spoke with LeRoy Harvey, the Meridian Township Environmental Programs Coordinator about the event and said, “The trustee’s wanted to do something positive in the community related to combating climate change, but also supporting green infrastructure in our community. The Environmental Commission created a tree team and members of the environmental team and the general public came together. Part of this plan is what you see here today.”

The project was to plant 40 good size tree’s to make a visual impact. A place that needs tree’s in the township. A 100 tree’s tree saplings were given away at the Meridian Township Farmers Market to people to plant at their own home, yard, or business.

Phil Deschaine, the Meridian Township Treasurer and board member of the Kiwanis Club of Haslett - Okemos was present at the event and spoke with HOMTV and said, “The 2020 Budget the Township Board authorized a $10,000 grant from the Environmental Commission and decided this past summer to put the $10,000 into trees. $6,000 was spent on the tree’s themselves, and $2,000 in supplies and Meridian Volunteers have exceeded our expectations. If the Environmental Commission decides to do this again next year, they hope to focus those 40 trees at the Haslett public schools.”

Jim Kielbaso, who is retired from Michigan State University’s Department of Forestry and currently on the Environmental Commission in Meridian Township and Land Preservation Advisory Board is hoping that in another year there will be another effort and have more opportunities in the future to plant in other areas of the township.

The Land Stewardship Coordinator of the Parks and Recreation of Meridian Township Emma Campbell created the Meridian Conservation Corp this year which is part of the parks and recreation department and knows people in the community are ready to get involved and make the community better and more sustainable. “This was a very successful event and the most amazing thing about it was all of the different ages that volunteered. “It was a great learning experience for everyone and the fact that we were planting all native trees was also another important learning platform for everyone,” said Campbell.

Campbell added, “We’re all learning to get connected and our departments are connecting to really make our volunteer events the best they can be.”

For more information about this event, contact LeRoy Harvey at 517.853.4466 or email him at harvey@meridian.mi.us.