By Liz Foreman, Marketing Manager, Downtown Main Library
For the past 24 years, CHPL has partnered with the Ohio Valley Forestry Fellowship to distribute free trees at library branches. In 2025, pick up a free seedling to plant in your yard or community starting Saturday, March 29.
Volunteers have prepared about 2,500 White Oak, Overcup Oak, and Eastern Redbud trees for pickup while supplies last. The seedlings' roots are individually bagged. Planting instructions and the plant species names are stapled to each bag.
Plant As Soon As You Can
"The key is educating people about how best to plant trees and take care of them so they continue to grow," said Tom Boeing, president of Ohio Valley Forestry Fellowship.
Boeing shared the following tree-planting pointers:
- It's ideal to plant your tree within one to two days of picking up your seedling.
- Keep your seedling's roots moist and out of sunlight until it is planted.
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Pot your seedling if you can’t plant it in 5 days.
Read More About Trees
Looking to learn more? Boeing recommends the following books about trees, available with your library card:
"The author describes oaks through their yearly cycle on a month by month basis. It emphasizes the importance of oaks in relation to other wildlife, from the tiniest bugs to bears. This book has made me so aware of how interconnected trees are with the rest of the environment," Boeing says.
"This book has been very informative regarding the way trees grow in conjunction with other plants. Its emphasis is on how trees 'know' about their environment and grow in an interrelated way with other plants," Boeing says.
National Geographic Magazine Archive (1888-1994)
Looking for interesting articles and amazing photos of the world's most impressive trees? Check out National Geographic.
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