RETREET to plant trees September 23

BROOKVILLE — RETREET will be in the Miami Valley on Sept. 23 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. planting trees for residents who lost their trees as a result of the 2019 Memorial Day tornado.

This is the final tree planting for the TREEcovery program in the Miami Valley.

Volunteers from all over the country will replace fallen trees with 15-gallon, one-inch native species that will be specifically planted based on the guidance of an arborist to decide the right tree in the right place.

The new trees will range from 8-10 feet tall, depending on the species.

The trees will be planted as a result of requests from Brookville and Miami Valley residential property owners, who lost trees when the tornado struck.

The event will begin with volunteers signing in at 9 a.m. at Sinclair Park, located at 685 Shoup Mill Road in Dayton.

Volunteers will be taught proper tree planting techniques, then arranged into small groups that will be sent to home sites throughout neighborhoods in Brookville, Harrison Township and Trotwood.

Light refreshments will be available at check-in.

Following the day’s planting activities, a community celebration is planned for volunteers who helped plant trees the past three years, RETREET members, those connected with Montgomery County’s Keep America Beautiful program, Miami Valley residents who received trees, partners who helped make the program possible and the public.

The free event will take place from 6-9 p.m. at The Top of the Market, 32 Webster St., in Dayton.

The event will consist of a catered dinner, drinks and music.

Anyone interested in attending the event should go to https://kab.tfaforms.net/f/MiamiValleyTREECoveryCelebration2023 and fill out and submit the form.

The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) and RETREET, a non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas, launched the Miami Valley TREEcovery campaign April 30, 2021, to replace the trees lost as a result of the tornado.

For more information on the Sept. 23 event, go to https://volunteer.kab.org/opportunity/a2a8X000005UelnQAC/dayton-iv.

Reach Terry Baver at [email protected].