Boise Sunrise adds needed shade at Hope House in Marsing
On October 16, a crew of about 30 Rotarians and teenagers and C of I grads and other volunteers gathered in Marsing to transplant oak trees at Hope House. These trees had been planted by Boise Sunrise in the spring of 2018 and many of them were now over 10 feet tall. The Hope House staff had chosen the new locations to produce the desired shade and we were there to make it happen. The initial planting was done at the request of RI President Ian Risely as one of the first acts of Rotary International adopting Environmental Sustainability as the newest pillar of service for RI.
In March 2018, many of the same club members planted 85 oak tree saplings at Hope House. 2.5 years later, we came back to 75 healthy trees (an 88% survival rate!) that range in size from 18” to 12’ tall. The photo below shows you what our little oak nursery looked like in mid October. Joe Levitch from Boise Sunrise led the crew and also capably manned to mini-backhoe that was used to remove the trees from the nursery and to create the holes around the Hope House football/soccer field where their permanent home would be. Then it was up to the voluteer crew to plant them with a healthy dose of compost, root stimulator, and water.
In March 2018, many of the same club members planted 85 oak tree saplings at Hope House. 2.5 years later, we came back to 75 healthy trees (an 88% survival rate!) that range in size from 18” to 12’ tall. The photo above shows you what our little oak nursery looked like in mid October. Joe Levitch from Boise Sunrise led the crew and also capably manned the mini-backhoe that was used to remove the trees from the nursery and to create the holes around the Hope House football/soccer field where their permanent home would be. Then it was up to the voluteer crew to plant them with a healthy dose of compost, root stimulator, and water.
We ended up getting 14 of these trees in the ground on that Saturday. These will grow to be mighty oaks and provide some much needed shade at Hope House. We fully expect that these trees will still be thriving long after this collection of Rotarians and volunteers has moved on. That is a pleasant thought to ponder and one possible component of a legacy for Hope House and for Boise Sunrise. Now we just need to transplant those other 61 trees…
At Boise Sunrise, our slogan is that we seek to leave it better than we found it. Placing these impressive looking trees into their new homes was heavy work but very satisfying for all of us. We meet at 7:00 AM every Tuesday morning at The Riverside Hotel in Boise. If this kind of community service project appeals to you, we would love to buy you breakfast and meet you and introduce you to other club members. Serving our hometowns and worthy organizations provides an effective counter-point to current unrest in the USA. We strive to demonstrate Service Above Self in everything we do. Contact John Lodal at jnlodal@gmail.com or visit our website at boisesunriserotary.com if this sounds of interest to you.