The Coastal Interpretive Center partnered with the nonprofit Ocean Shores Park Foundation and the city’s Park Board to conduct a pair of tree planting events in honor of Arbor Day last Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, Interpretive Center board members including president Nancy Eldridge smiled appreciatively as fifth- and sixth-grade students at Ocean Shores Elementary School planted 13 seedlings of Western hemlock, which is the Washington state tree. Students took home another 63 seedlings to plant in their yards or neighborhoods. Eldridge said the Interpretive Center’s goal was simply “helping people understand the importance of trees.”
Saturday at North Bay Park, civic leaders planted 20 more seedlings at an event that included educational activities, some encouraging news, and a free lunch for the 40 or so attendees.
Michael Darling, the founder and president of the Ocean Shores Park Foundation, explained that his group is working with an anonymous donor who has pledged to match up to $5,000 in donations to the foundation.
“Today, we’ve had an outpouring of generosity and gracious gifts,” he said. Donations were received from Ocean Shores Mayor Crystal Dingler and City Council members Bob Peterson, Jon Martin, Lisa Griebel and Gordon Broadbent as well as community member Richard Wills, who also provided the PA system used at the event. A total of $670 was donated.
With the anonymous donor’s matching donation, the total for Saturday was $1,340.
Darling said the Foundation’s first priority is new signage for the city’s parks, starting with the heavily used North Bay Park, which sits on 7.1 acres near the northern end of Duck Lake. The Foundation has concept and design work complete for a large, two-sided sign that will be positioned perpendicular to the street.
Park Board president Rich Otto said among the goals for city parks is “beautification, and the primary method is planting trees.” He said the Park Board “is trying to identify projects and volunteers… most importantly to work with people” to support and enhance local parks.
Dingler commented that “there are some people who are planters… some others are destroyers. In Ocean Shores, we want to encourage the planters.” She planted the first seedling near the fence on the northern edge of the park, followed by Council members John Lynn, Jackie Farra, Holly Plackett and Jon Martin.
