CHESTERMERE – Every year the Urban Beautification Committee plants trees in September or October to recognize those children born to families living within the Town of Chestermere. This year the 2012 Birth Forest Planting took place on National Tree Day, September 26th at Westmere Park on Marina Drive just east towards the lake. Eleven trees were added to the 15 trees that were planted in the park the year before. This is the 7th year that the Birth Forest program has been running.
The Town of Chestermere’s Parks Department, in conjunction with the Urban Beautification Committee, has created the Birth Park Program to celebrate children born in Chestermere in 2012. The program is also available to children born in Chestermere in years prior to 2012. Although the trees are worth considerably more, a fee of $25 is charged to families to sign their child up for the program. Trees are tagged temporarily with the child`s name and from there all the names are inscribed on a plaque mounted in the park the following spring.
Ken Jackson, Parks Supervisor for the Town of Chestermere handpicked the trees from the nursery at Eagle Lake Nursery and is confident these trees will stand the test of time. “Some of the ones we got last year were not the best so it was important to select them ourselves this year” said Jackson. The holes are already prepared and all the families have to do is pick the tree they like, put it in the hole and backfill it. It’s a nice family event. Jackson and his helper, Andrew Boss, planted the remaining trees for the families that were not able to attend the event.
Be sure to check out the town`s website sometime in August 2013 for announcements about the 2013 Birth Forest Planting Program.
