As a walk along the trail at Springside Park in Napanee, enjoying the water as it flows over different levels of rock, I can’t help but also see something else. I observe the painstaking care of a gentleman who has planted 30 sapling hardwood trees about 30 apart, between the trail and the river. He has taken the patience and endurance to ensure that what he calls,..* his a little project”.. someday will be seen as a ‘big project’ for many far beyond my lifetime. His hours of work cleaning a 5×5 area, cultivating it, then laying black ground cover over the area with mulch on top, indicates his desire to see people enjoy nature as he must. After planting the tender shoots he surrounds them with wire mesh as protection, then hammers a painted post beside the shoot for further protection, so hopefully uncaring people will not destroy his efforts.
At a time when there is such confusion, disagreement and hardships amongst us, Brian Hughes a retired NDSS teacher has chosen to spend some of his time to help us focus on the beauty of nature. He has moved our thoughts from the dead bark of diseased ash trees to new life in young hardwoods.
He often has his preschool grandson with him when nursing the trees. This grandson in years to come will proudly be able to say,” My Poppa planted those trees”.
Sterling DeWolfe