Arbor Day Volunteers Plant Trees at Lewis University

In celebration of Arbor Day, ’s Environmental Energy Conservation Council on Wednesday sponsored a volunteer event on the campus' Burnham Centennial Nature Trail.

The April 27 event was part of a weeklong project that began on April 20 with "Green Up, Clean Up Day" in honor of Earth Day. Both events were aimed at conservation and beautification of the campus.

Lewis University Superintendent of Grounds Dwight DeVries said about 18 student volunteers showed up last week to help set the project in motion by removing invasive plant species, such as common buckthorn trees, from the nature trail.

They are called invasive species because “they are just so overpowering,” DeVries said. “They seed and … grow so rapidly that they choke out the really good trees.”

Despite the rain and mud, roughly 15 volunteers showed up Wednesday to help with the completion of the project, which involved planting what DeVries calls “good trees” in place of the invasive ones. Trees being planted included Illinois’ state tree, white oaks, along with river birches and American yellowwoods.

Students volunteered for a number of reasons, but the primary one was class credit. Kristen Granato, who was accompanied by a handful of biology majors, said she was volunteering as part of her environmental science class. Other students volunteered just for fun, like Tina Focosi, who said she came out of her own good will.

“We got a wheel barrel full of shovels (and) our ultimate goal is to get a lot of this invasive cleared out and the natives brought in and just make this nature trail looks pretty darn cool,” DeVries told the students.

Efforts like this one have earned Lewis the recognition as a Tree Campus USA two years in a row by the Arbor Day Foundation. To qualify for the honor, schools must host several service projects “to ensure a nice Arbor Day," DeVries said.

Students who participated in the event all received a free T-shirt for their hard work.

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