As volunteers from Sila Realty gathered bright and early at the Plant City HCC Campus April 24th, you could feel the excitement in the air. Eager to plant and with smiles on their faces, 14 volunteers helped Take MAR add 63 new trees to the campus! You could feel the volunteer’s passion through the hard work and efficiency that unfolded throughout the day, which was inspirational to all who attended.

We began the day with a planting demonstration led by Will Moriaty, a Take MAR Board Member and former founder of TREE Inc., who kept the crowd laughing, while informing them on proper techniques and practices. He showed us how to dig the hole to a proper depth and then install the tree, along with what not to do, so that all volunteers felt prepared and ready to go! We then broke into teams of two, in order to tackle two different planting areas on the campus.

The campus itself runs along a canal that leads 49 miles down to the Gulf. Will explained the significance of this, and how any of the runoff or materials entering the canal will ultimately lead to the gulf. He also explained that the campus was a wetland environment, resulting in the planting of native wetland trees, like Cypress and Pine. In total, volunteers planted 63 trees, which consisted of 3 Water Hickory, 7 Pignut Hickory, 6 Persimmon, 15 Sweetbay Magnolia, 6 Red Mulberry, 5 Redbay, 3 Chickasaw Plum, and 9 American Elm.

The energy was never low during this project, as volunteers got down and dirty to get the job done! Some people took on digging holes, while others cut roots and lifted in trees - all of which was a labor of love for the impact that these trees will carry into the future. All in all, the trees were installed in record time and with impressive precision and attention to detail. This was then followed by a well deserved lunch break where volunteers could reflect and reminisce on the project well done together! Not one volunteer left without being covered in sweat and dirt, but that was truly a badge of honor.

Thank you again to all who helped make this project a possibility! We couldn’t have done it without Sila Realty and their motivated volunteers. We also want to extend a thank you to Will Moriaty and Dr. Peter Sleszynski for helping coordinate the planting on campus and guide the volunteers during the work. Additionally, a special thanks goes out to those who worked behind the scenes to transport and position the trees from the HCC greenhouse to their new homes: Dr. Peter Sleszynski from HCC's Environmental Program, Darla Ostenson, Vice President of the Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and Wildly Inspired Landscape and Design, Leslie Worsham, President of the Plant City Commons Community Garden (PCCCG), Kim Taylor, Treasurer of PCCCG, and Don Deshier, Member of PCCCG.

Remember - We are nature!