Planting Trees to Improve Riparian Habitat

Athena Age 10

July 30, 2012

Tree Care Taker

- My dad got a couple hundred trees from the NYS tree nursery for my elementary school.

- I watered them and took care of them.

- We had four kinds of trees.

- Silky dogwood

- White cedar

- Highbush cranberry

- And White spruce

- Three kinds grew best by streams.

Silky DogwoodHeight : 6 to 10 feet

Width : 6 to 10 ten feet

Growth rate : slow

Requirements : sun to medium shade well adapted

to wet soils. Needs some moisture , is not drought

tolerant.

Description : Many stemmed bush with thick foliage and

round form. New stems purplish-red with silky hair.

White CedarHeight : 20 to 60 feet

Width : 10 to 30 feet

Growth rate : Medium to slow

Requirements : Sun to medium shade , moist , well

drained soil.

Description : Round form. narrow when young, thick foliage. Older trees develop strait long trunks in forest

conditions.

HighbushCranberry

Height : 8 to 12 feet

Width : 8 to 12 feet

Growth rate : medium

Requirements : Sun , moist well , drained soil.

Description : Fall color shades of red .White flowers

in flat topped clusters, followed by bright

red berries

Preparing to Plant

- My brother Charlie helped me plant the trees.

- The seedlings came from the NYS tree nursery in Saratoga Springs, NY.

- The trees were free!

- We grew about a hundred seedlings in our backyard!

- When they were big enough to plant we put them in the ground.

This is the planting location.

Trees were planted by the stream bed –they help control floods

Planting

Observing Dragonflies

The Blue Darter eats insects and controls pests

Charlie taking pictures of the Blue Darter dragonfly

One even landed on my hand!

Summary- I watered and took care of

the tree seedlings.

- I researched where the trees could be planted .

- When they were strong enough my brother Charlie helped me plant them at a local envirmentaleducation center.

- We saw many blue darter dragonflies that loved the bushes and trees at the bank of the stream. A few of them even landed on my hand!

- -Planting trees by streams creats habitat for birds, deer, butterflies and dragonflies. It also can be lots of fun!