NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/315021
38 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014 JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 39 38 38 38 38 NE NE NE NE NE NE N BR BR BR BR BR BRAS AS AS AS ASKA KA KA KA KAla land nd • JUN UN UN UN UN UN U E E E E 20 20 20 20 20 2014 14 14 14 1 JU JU JU JU JU JU J NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE 201 01 01 01 01 01 01 014 4 • NE NE NE NE NEBR BR BR BR BR BR BRAS AS AS AS AS AS AS A KA KA KA KA KA KAla la la la land nd nd nd nd nd nd 39 39 39 39 39 39 plantings would be more successful. In coming years, the planters took a more random approach to placement so pines in rows wouldn't resemble a tree farm. Leaders also spent more time on instruction to ensure trees were planted with the best chance of survival. The annual project was supposed to end after five to 10 years, but the popularity served as an impetus. Commission officials decided that if they had a large group willing to plant, they might as well put pines in the ground. The park provided lodging and a meal or two while scouts earned SOAR – Save Our American Resources – patches for their three hours of service. Of course, one of the greatest challenges has been funding such a massive effort. In addition to support from the Commission, proceeds from the Nebraska Environmental Trust helped keep it going. A total of $193,250 in grants has helped purchase pine seedlings and patches for the scouts. The Lesson From a distance, three boys appear only as dots on the hillside near Spring Creek on this mild April 5 – just a few heads among the army of 1,400 who have arrived to give the project one last shot. They carefully handle a seedling near a decaying ponderosa pine tree that met its demise in 1989. One of the boys uses a tree spade to penetrate the soil, while the others promptly begin measuring the hole and using their hands to make the width and depth just right. When approached, they excitedly tell the steps of planting a tree, from making the hole to creating a mote around the seedling to collect precipitation. "You want it to go in straight," they advise. "You don't want a J-root or an L-root." After the seedling is planted, they grab some of the decaying wood to place around its base as mulch. It's just one small example of the circle of life on this scenic region of mixed prairie, rocky buttes and, still, ponderosa pines. Like the thousands of volunteers before them, the children leave Fort Robinson SP with a hands-on experience in conservation that is better learned in nature than in a classroom. And, they've left a positive mark on the landscape and learned a lesson in the power of collective volunteerism. The Legacy To the casual observer, it may seem the tree planters haven't made much of a dent on the land covered with grass and fallen pines. But, this year's effort of 10,500 seedlings put the 25-year total number of trees planted more than 450,000. Using common survival estimates for pine seedlings, the organizers believe at least 76,000 have lived. It takes a long time for a ponderosa pine forest to reestablish in such an arid region, especially in areas that burned hot where fire had been suppressed. Even trees that were planted perfectly are greatly challenged if moisture doesn't come at the right time. Organizers say all the benefits can't be measured in number of trees still standing, though. Mike Morava, Fort Robinson SP superintendent, said the project has not only provided outdoor education and conservation opportunities to thousands of youth, but has positively affected the Pine Ridge landscape with a lasting legacy that will be enjoyed by visitors to the park for generations to come. Jim Schmitt of Dalton, who serves on the Longs Peak Council's conservation committee, said the program has forged relationships and connected kids to nature. Not to mention, Fort Robinson SP, with its wide open spaces and diverse activities, has just been a fun place for them to be. He said the timing has been right for a gathering, as troops are looking for a suitable event to help remedy spring fever early in the year. "We never really knew why this thing took off like it did," Schmitt said. "We know the Fort is part of the secret. Fort Robinson is a draw." Schmitt said one of the greatest rewards has been visiting with past scouts who have returned to the park for a vacation and revisited their planting sites. Many have developed a special connection to the park. One of the best places to see the fruits of the project's labor is on the upper elevations of the park's Smiley Canyon drive, where a marker is dedicated to the project. The informational display is situated near a large stand of healthy pines. In addition to Smiley Canyon and Spring Creek, trees have been planted near Mexican Canyon and Carter P. Johnson Lake. One More for the Future A quarter century has passed since that smoky July day in Torrington – the record-setting blaze in the Pine Ridge that has now been surpassed by other wildfires. Jonathan James, now an assistant scoutmaster for his 11-year-old son Tyler's troop in Parker, Colorado, returned to Fort Robinson SP for this year's planting. The planting has become tradition for the James family, as Royden has become a member of the planning committee and two of Jonathan's brothers planted trees at the Fort as scouts. Tyler, now in his second year as a Boy Scout, has been planting since his first year as a Cub Scout. The Jameses are quick to share memories of plantings gone by, including the year they were stranded in a snowstorm 50 miles away, to the many others in which they planted in shirt sleeves. In a tribute to the event's storied past, the three-generation trio of Jameses was given the honor of planting the project's final tree on the eastern side of the Smiley Canyon drive near the pines planted during the first year. "It's great to be in that area and look at those trees again and think that we had a hand in helping get those trees, that are now 10 to 15 feet tall, in the ground," Jonathan James said. "It's great to see them established and replenishing the forest." Along with others in attendance, the Jameses described the project's ending as bittersweet. As pines are beginning to sprout naturally at Fort Robinson SP, organizers realize it's time for volunteers to put their effort into other projects. At a ceremony after the final planting, officials of the Boy Scouts and the Commission relived stories from past plantings. They paid tribute to many who were instrumental in making the event successful, including two park superintendents, Rotherham and Jim Lemmon. The two park leaders are now deceased, but the trees stand as part of their legacy. All the fun isn't over for the scouts, though. Even though the tree planting at Fort Robinson SP is ending, Schmitt said scouts of the Longs Peak Council will continue gathering at the park each April. Leaders have discussed future conservation projects there. Some may even plant trees at nearby Chadron State Park where wildfires struck in 2012. The benefits of the work are just starting to be realized. And, as one storied conservation program has taken root, seeds will certainly be planted for others. ■ Troop 5 of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, presents the colors during the flag ceremony to kick off the planting at Fort Robinson State Park on April 5, 2014. Kylie (left) and Karen Godman of Cheyenne plant a ponderosa pine seedling in the Spring Creek area of Fort Robinson State Park and Wildlife Management Area. "We never really knew why this thing took off like it did, we know the Fort is part of the secret. Fort Robinson is a draw." — Jim Schmitt, Longs Peak Council Conservation Committee