An Early Arbor Affair: Painesville Lions hold planting at Kiwanis Recreation Park
Apr. 20—Arbor Day may be less than a week away, but the passion for trees was evident in Painesville on April 20 as about two dozen individuals gathered at Kiwanis Recreation Park for a planting affair, despite cloudy conditions and continuous, whipping winds.
"At least the sun is trying to come out," said Painesville Lions Club Secretary Ernest Richmann, laughing.
Working with Holden Forests and Gardens and the city's parks department, 15 trees were added to the park by the Lions and its Cubs program, a service program designed for children aged 12 and under.
"Kiwanis was a suggested site by Painesville Parks Arborist Stephen Hubbell," Richmann said. "A few new additions are happening at this park and it is a great opportunity to install new trees.
"This was an idea generated by our Cub, Maddie, at one of our meetings last fall, and when our Cubs present an idea, we seek to try our best to make it happen," he added. "Her idea falls in line with 'Environment,' one of the eight Lions International global causes."
Seeking advice for the undertaking after Maddie's service request, Richmann reached out to Urban Community Forrester Amanda Wood at Holden, and the public garden, in turn, provided trees, supplies, and guidance during the planting.
Principals later met with parks department officials to discuss areas in need of new trees, ultimately determining specific locations and varieties.
"This benefits the community by beautifying our main park," Richmann said. "It also impacts the environment and can provide shade and house animals. These are all concerns that Maddie had initially expressed to the club. We love our city, and this is one way we can physically contribute to making it look beautiful, and create a peaceful setting for residents to enjoy."
Eastern redbuds, Maddie's tree of choice, among other trees, now adorn a portion of the main oval drive which parallels several ballfields.
Additionally, the Lions Club is also responsible for watering the new trees once a week during the first two growing seasons.
Maddie's mother, Katie DeMoss, noted that the 8-year-old got involved with the Lions shortly after she became a member.
"I chose the Painesville Lions Club because we are Painesville residents and we want to give back to our community, and the Cub program allowed us to be involved as a family," DeMoss said. "The (environmental) cause is very important to Maddie, as, one day at school, she heard that the Earth was sick, which caused her to pay more attention to nature. When she saw that a bunch of trees had been cut down along the freeway, she was sad and immediately wished she could replace them because they are important for cleaning the air we breathe.
"I anticipate her pursuing environmental projects while continuing activities like planting trees and helping to clean up trash with Painesville City Clean Up Day events as she grows up," she continued. "We are looking forward to caring for these trees with the club over the next two years while they become established and enjoying them with our community for many years to come."
Moving about the park, Richmann said the Cubs and Lions remain successful due to a stream of all-encompassing ideas.
"It has made our entire club better and more active in our community," he added. "Our food pantry operation is attributed to another one of our Cubs, in addition to our bake sale fundraiser, among other things. Maddie and all our Cub kids have great ideas and I love that we have been able to listen to all their ideas and make each one happen."
The Painesville Lions Club is a family-friendly community service organization and is part of Lions Clubs International, an organization of 1.4 million members located in 200 countries and regions worldwide.
Find more information, visit e-clubhouse.org/sites/painesville/page-6.php.