Let’s plant a tree… or maybe a few thousand!
April 19th, 2014
Mark & Sheila were among over 100 volunteers this weekend who, together planted several thousand pine tree seedlings within the 2011 Las Conchas Fire burn area, near Los Alamos. The planting area was near the Pajarito Trailhead, just a couple miles from the National Labs. Most volunteers used a “dibble tool” (a combination spike and shovel), to dig a wedge shaped hole deep enough t0 completely bury the seedling’s roots.
The fun part was that even when you found the perfect location to plant the little tree, (on the North side of a fallen log; in the shade of a rock; in a patch of fallen oak leaves; or near a tiny creek bed) most times you’d find a layer of solid rock just 4 or 5 inches below the surface. The tree couldn’t be buried deeply enough and would struggle to extend its roots downward. We dug hundreds of holes to find good spots for the 40 seedlings we planted. After 90 minutes on site, the cool, calm morning weather turned wet. The trees probably appreciated the rain, but we were soaked as we planted the last couple sacks of seedlings.
Members of the US Forest Service were there to ride herd on everybody, and supplied the hardhats, tools and the seedlings.
