Great Tree Canopy Comeback relies on volunteers, NGOs, agencies to reach its goals; Fort Wayne, IN

Volunteers needed for Great Tree Canopy Comeback The News-Sentinel - Fort Wayne IN:
The Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department is looking for volunteers and donations for its 8th Annual Great Tree Canopy Comeback on Saturday.

Departmental staff and a local group called Friends of the Parks will plant more than 250 multi-species trees across several city and county parks – Johnny Appleseed, Shoaff Park, and Salomon Farm in Fort Wayne; Werling Park in New Haven; and Metea County Park.

“The more volunteers we have, the better,” Parks Department spokeswoman Sarah Nichter said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for families to come out and for parents to teach kids how important trees are in the community. Donating is an option for people who aren’t able to come out and volunteer but still want to help out.”

The Great Tree Canopy Comeback is a grass-roots movement to combat the critical loss of trees in Fort Wayne. Since the 1940s, the city’s tree canopy had decreased by almost 50 percent, a hired consultant told the Parks Department in 2002, Nichter said. Diseases wiped out trees and budget cuts wouldn’t allow for total replacement.