Tree Planting

I have talked a lot on previous posts about the consequences that human activities have had on the prairie. However, this past Wednesday I got the opportunity to do something about it. Our class, along with several employees of the Lubbock Lake Landmark took up the task to plant native trees throughout the property. The staff had selected several sites for the native trees previously with the help of the archeological department to ensure that no artifacts were uncovered during the transplantations. We had Soapberries and Hackberries to plant. While I looked forward to the planting process all week, I must admit that I did not expect to plant such mature trees as we did that day. With more than 20 trees to plant, I started to regret volunteering to dig the new homes for the woody specimens. Still, I was driven by the inspiration that someday I would have to opportunity to come back and see the full grown trees that we have planted. While we did not finish planting all the trees, I feel as if the exhaustion my body felt will one day turn into a sense of pride. I have not only added beauty to the surrounding, but also an opportunity to recover from an ecological disaster. Go plan a tree!