Volunteers bring 1,800 young trees and shrubs to Marine Park
Volunteers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday braved rising COVID-19 numbers to plant more than 1,800 young trees and shrubs at the Salt Marsh Nature Center in Marine Park in a project led by the Parks Department.
Volunteers spent the mornings removing small trees and shrubs from 2-gallon plastic pots and planting them in pre-dug holes. Parks employees assisted volunteers in extracting tough and overgrown trees from pots.
Philip Kunhardt, an NYC Parks forester, guided volunteers to break up the roots and soil from their firm pot shape. Aerating of the roots helps them spread out and grow underground, according to Kunhardt.