By Laura Wagner
This May, we partnered with Tacoma Tree Foundation for another annual Springtime tree potting party. The Tacoma community came together on Friday, May 9th to ensure over 1,000 bareroot trees were given new temporary homes in 1 gallon pots. These trees will grow in a shaded nursery over the summer until they’re ready for planting in the fall or winter.
Volunteers working hard to get those trees ready for summer growth
Tree Party!
The day started off smoothly with clear, sunny weather as over 25 volunteers began potting. The open palleted space was provided by the City of Tacoma and Northwest Trek provided shared nursey space for these trees to grow. Carbon Capture Foundation contributed these 1,000 bare root trees for Pierce County restoration projects.
By the end of the 4 hours we spent together, a total of over 400 Giant Sequoias donated by Propagation Nation, 360 Shore Pine, 240 Sitka Spruce, and 100 Ponderosa Pine were potted and placed on pallets. Any trees that we didn’t pot by the end of the day were taken care of afterwards.
What over 1,000 trees and 4 hours of hard work looks like
Why Act Fast With Bareroot Plants
If you have attended our Native Plant Sale or done volunteer work with other environmental organizations similar to Pierce CD or Tacoma Tree Foundation, you’ve probably heard about bare root plant bundles. For conservation and restoration work, many organizations order plants in bare root bulk because the cost is lower. This means we receive a large amount of plants packed in boxes or paper bags that include only the plant itself.
When these trees reached us, it was important that we move them quickly into soil, mulch the top soil, and water each plant. Being packed in bare root bulk tends to dry them out quickly. By the end of the day, these trees were set up for success with access to the nutrients, water, and sun they need to grow by Fall or Winter.
What’s Next for the Trees?
After growing over the summer, these trees will be dispersed to Tacoma residents through the Tacoma Tree Foundation or used by Pierce CD in habitat restoration projects. We are so grateful to all of you volunteers who showed up to pot trees. Thanks to your hard work, spaces throughout Pierce County will welcome new plants to their habitat!
We collaborate throughout the year with Tacoma Tree Foundation, but this yearly event is one we anticipate. We thank this year's collaborators TTF, City of Tacoma, Northwest Trek, Carbon Capture Foundation, and Propagation Nation, for bringing community members together with trees that will bring health to current and future generation residents of Pierce County habitat.
We look forward to making even more memories with local volunteers at future joint events! You can follow our Facebook or Instagram and keep an eye on our Calendar of Events for event updates if you’re pining fir more opportunities like these.