Austin, TX; 1/7/09

CommitteeChair: Service Hours Opportunity at Pease Park. By CommitteeChair Pease Park is in very bad shape, having lost 40 trees in the severe wind and hail storm of May 15, 2008. This was just the latest blow to a park that has been steadily been losing its tree canopy for years as the existing old cedar elms die. New trees have not been planted at a rate to arrest this creeping de-forestation. The Austin Parks Foundation and the City hope to plant an additional 300 trees over the next several years in a campaign we have called "Trees for Pease." This year's planting is just the first phase.