POULSBO — Development at Nelson Park in the past few months has added things like a picnic shelter, bathrooms and landscaping.

But this Arbor Day, the City of Poulsbo needs community members to help add one of the most important features — trees.

“We want people to be driving down Viking Avenue and they see businesses and businesses and all of a sudden there’s trees, and there’s this park,” commented Poulsbo Parks and Recreation Director Mary McCluskey.

Volunteers are currently being sought for the Trees of Nelson Park planting event, which will take place April 17 at the park at the headwaters of Liberty Bay. Between 50-80 trees, including Douglas fir, Western red cedars, flowering dogwood, vine maple, Ginko, crab apple and common purple lilac, will be planted along the western border of the 11-acre park to buffer it from Viking Avenue traffic and businesses.

Unlike most other community volunteer opportunities, McCluskey is asking those interested to contact her to RSVP for a spot at the planting. Depending on how many people sign up, organizers may choose to have all of the volunteers come at one time, or to stagger the start times to allow more elbow room.

“This is celebrating Arbor Day and it’s also the Saturday prior to Earth Day so if any groups are looking for an environmental project for Earth Day, this would be a great one,” she said.

Purchase of the new trees for Nelson Park is funded by a $10,000 matching Community Forestry Assistance Grant from the State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Planting a wide variety of trees will not only enhance the look of the current development of 3.5 acres of the park, it will also more than replace some of the trees that had to be removed to allow the park to be enhanced, commented City Arborist Kevin McFarland.

“It’s a policy the tree board has that whenever we remove trees on public lands, we try to replace them with more trees,” McFarland explained. “We’re trying to meet a no net loss of trees in the city and we’re doing it with quite a diversity of trees.”

Though children must be accompanied by adults, McCluskey said the Trees of Nelson Park Planting April 17 is appropriate for all ages and abilities. Public works crews will be digging the holes prior to the event, so the hard work will already be done.

McFarland and members of the Poulsbo Tree Board will also be on hand teaching the proper methods for tree planting and care for trees for the first three to five years. The event is a good opportunity for community members to learn skills they can use in their own yards as well, McFarland commented.

“We’re hoping to have a crowd there to experience Arbor Day with us and to see this new park,” he said. “I’ve done this sort of thing in other communities and people always get a lot out of it.”

McCluskey added that since the Trees of Nelson Park project is so large, it will supplant the traditional spring American Legion Park clean-up. The next work party at the park off Front Street will take place in the fall.

“So if people want to volunteer, this is the time to do it,” McCluskey said.

Sidebox:

Trees of Nelson Park

9 a.m. April 17

Nelson Park

Call (360) 779-9898 to RSVPBy CARRINA STANTON

Staff Writer

POULSBO — Development at Nelson Park in the past few months has added things like a picnic shelter, bathrooms and landscaping.

But this Arbor Day, the City of Poulsbo needs community members to help add one of the most important features — trees.

“We want people to be driving down Viking Avenue and they see businesses and businesses and all of a sudden there’s trees, and there’s this park,” commented Poulsbo Parks and Recreation Director Mary McCluskey.

Volunteers are currently being sought for the Trees of Nelson Park planting event, which will take place April 17 at the park at the headwaters of Liberty Bay. Between 50-80 trees, including Douglas fir, Western red cedars, flowering dogwood, vine maple, Ginko, crab apple and common purple lilac, will be planted along the western border of the 11-acre park to buffer it from Viking Avenue traffic and businesses.

Unlike most other community volunteer opportunities, McCluskey is asking those interested to contact her to RSVP for a spot at the planting. Depending on how many people sign up, organizers may choose to have all of the volunteers come at one time, or to stagger the start times to allow more elbow room.

“This is celebrating Arbor Day and it’s also the Saturday prior to Earth Day so if any groups are looking for an environmental project for Earth Day, this would be a great one,” she said.

Purchase of the new trees for Nelson Park is funded by a $10,000 matching Community Forestry Assistance Grant from the State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Planting a wide variety of trees will not only enhance the look of the current development of 3.5 acres of the park, it will also more than replace some of the trees that had to be removed to allow the park to be enhanced, commented City Arborist Kevin McFarland.

“It’s a policy the tree board has that whenever we remove trees on public lands, we try to replace them with more trees,” McFarland explained. “We’re trying to meet a no net loss of trees in the city and we’re doing it with quite a diversity of trees.”

Though children must be accompanied by adults, McCluskey said the Trees of Nelson Park Planting April 17 is appropriate for all ages and abilities. Public works crews will be digging the holes prior to the event, so the hard work will already be done.

McFarland and members of the Poulsbo Tree Board will also be on hand teaching the proper methods for tree planting and care for trees for the first three to five years. The event is a good opportunity for community members to learn skills they can use in their own yards as well, McFarland commented.

“We’re hoping to have a crowd there to experience Arbor Day with us and to see this new park,” he said. “I’ve done this sort of thing in other communities and people always get a lot out of it.”

McCluskey added that since the Trees of Nelson Park project is so large, it will supplant the traditional spring American Legion Park clean-up. The next work party at the park off Front Street will take place in the fall.

“So if people want to volunteer, this is the time to do it,” McCluskey said.

Sidebox:

Trees of Nelson Park

9 a.m. April 17

Nelson Park

Call (360) 779-9898 to RSVP