SO YOU GO OUT THERE AND YOU SEE “CO” ON A FLAG, THERE’S A PAINTED CIRCLE AROUND IT.
[00:00:04]
YOU GO AND GRAB THE OAK. WE’RE ACTUALLY OUT HERE TODAY WITH OVER 100 VOLUNTEERS PLANTING TREES AT 71 HOME SITES THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE OCTOBER 2019, TORNADO. “DOES THIS LOOK STRAIGHT TO YOU? DOES IT LOOK STRAIGHT TO YOU? THEN THIS TREE IS STRAIGHT. THAT’S HOW WE KNOW IT’S STRAIGHT UP.” SO WHAT THESE VOLUNTEERS ARE LEAVING A LEGACY. THEY’RE ESTABLISHING, REESTABLISHING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IDENTITY OF THIS COMMUNITY THAT WAS BADLY DAMAGED BY THE TORNADO. “THIS NEEDS TO GO ABOUT MAYBE 3-4 INCHES TOO DEEP.” AND THEY’RE OUT THERE PLANTING TREES AT HOMESITES FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE IN THE RECOVERY PROCESS. “ALL RIGHT, SO NOW IT’S A MATTER OF HOW STRAIGHT WE CAN MAKE IT.” WE HAVE ALL THESE FOLKS WHO’VE COME FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY ACTUALLY. WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE FROM NORTH DAKOTA, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK CITY WHO HAVE COME TO GARLAND TODAY TO PLANT TREES. “AND THIS IS LIKE THE WHOLE SYSTEM THAT THE TREE USES TO GET NUTRIENTS SO IT’S ONLY RIGHT HERE, AND IT’S OUT OF ROOM, IT WILL JUST STRANGLE ITSELF.” THE GOAL TODAY IS TO RESTORE AS MUCH CANOPY AS WE CAN.ON OCTOBER 2019, WE’VE LOST A LOT OF CANOPY AND CANOPY WAS DAMAGES, SO A FEW TREES FELL AFTER THE STORM, ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER STORM THAT DAMAGED FROM THE TORNADO, SO WE WANT TO RESTOR AS MUCH CANOPY AS WE CAN AND ALSO RESTORE A SENSE OF NORMALCY FOR THESE RESIDENTS WHO WERE EFFECTED BY THE TORNADO.
(SHOVELING SOUNDS) “AT LEAST IT RAINED A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.” IT IS A HUGE EFFORT AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAD PLENTY OF VOLUNTEERS ON HAND, EVERYBODY’S GETTING THEIR HANDS DIRTY DIGGING IN THE GROUND AND JUST PLANTING TREES.
“LOOK AT THERE, MAGIC.” THE PARTNERSHIPS ARE INVALUABLE. THE TREES WERE PROVIDE BY GP&L.
WE’VE GOT VOLUNTEERS AND MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN DONATED BY HOME DEPOT.
AND A LOT OF OUR OTHER VOLUNTEER GROUPS. IT’S MORE THAN WE COULD EVER DO ON OUR OWN. WE CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS. WE CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH DONATIONS, SO HAVING IT ALL COME TOGETHER TODAY, IT WILL MAKE LIGHT WORK OF WHAT IS A HUGE TASK.
SO I WENT OUT ON THE PORCH AND I WAS WATCHING SOME OTHER GUYS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY STARTED RUNNING AND I LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS THE TORNADO, SO I JUMPED BACK IN THE HOUSE AND RODE IT OUT. I JUST CAN’T THANK GARLAND ENOUGH FOR WHAT THEY’RE DOING TO REPLANT THE TREES IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS IS AN OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD. WE’VE BEEN HER 41 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN THE DEVASTATION LIKE THIS. THE TREES HAVE BEEN JUST BIG AND BEAUTIFUL.
AND FOR GARLAND TO COME BACK AND HELP US REPLANT AND GET SOME TREES BACK UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS JUST FANTASTIC. I CAN’T THANK EVERYBODY OUT HER ENOUGH.
IT’S JUST BEEN FANTASTIC. (MUSIC) (MUSIC)
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.