Riverfront Park Tree Planting

Kurt Wolf, City Arborist and McCall Parks and Recreation Director, exclaimed “You guys need some bigger rocks for that tree!” And off he went to get his wheel loader. We did, indeed, need some larger rocks to stabilize one of the 40 mature trees that were being planted Saturday by a large group of community volunteers. The tree Kurt was referring to was a beautiful, ten- foot-tall mountain ash that was to serve as one of two sentinels at the entrance to McCall’s latest city park, Riverfront Park.

After getting our instructions from Kurt’s crack team of tree-planting experts, we broke into small groups and selected our tools from a large array of implements that included wheelbarrows, shovels, and rakes. With access to two types of soil and some fertilizer ‘pucks’, we were all ready to start planting. Trees planted, in addition to the mountain ash, were ponderosa pines, firs, and The community volunteers taking part in the tree planting at the park included McCall Rotarians, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, the McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS), and a host of others. As our Mayor and fellow planter, Jackie Aymon, exclaimed at the site, “This is what McCall is all about!”

For those who haven’t been to Riverfront recently, it is undergoing a transformation from former city dump to a jewel of a park along the Payette River. Just down the hill from the Smokejumper Base, the park will eventually serve fishermen, kayakers, birders, and anyone else who just wants to enjoy a walk along the river. The McCall Rotary Club granted the City of McCall over five thousand dollars to purchase the mature trees. McCall Parks and Recreation selected the trees, pre-dug the holes, and positioned the trees for planting. Terry Edvalson, the Rotary Club Tree Project Chair, worked with the city to fund the project and also organized the almost 70 hard-working volunteers. Planting of additional trees that were not ready for transplanting this fall will take place in the spring. Among them will be tamarack trees that will line the road leading to the park. Volunteers will be sought for the spring planting.

— Craig Vroom, Immediate Past President