A Danville physician who says he has probably planted thousands of trees in the area has no plans to stop anytime soon. Dr. Tom Halloran helped the Danville Garden Club plant a tree at Southview Upper Elementary School on Friday (April 24, 2020)…..
(Steve Lane of City of Danville on left and Dr. Tom Halloran help plant a tree at Southview Upper Elementary School on April 24, 2020)
{‘’I’ve got probably 2,000 trees right now in gravel tree beds. There’s one at Douglas Park with the Discovery Garden. There’s one at Springhill Cemetery that’s got 300 or so trees in it. There’s one at my house that’s bigger than that,’’ said Dr. Halloran.}
At Northeast Elementary Magnet School, Dr. Halloran says a project will reward students in the top three classes with a redbud tree to take home and plant this fall.
Steve Lane, Superintendent of Parks and Public Property for the City of Danville, says a recent survey was taken of all trees located on city-owned property….
{‘’What it shows is that really every part of the city needs a little bit of help. We’ve got an aging tree population. We’ve been hit with things like emerald ash borer. We’ve been hit with droughts – other problems with insects and diseases,’’ added Lane during an interview with VermilionCountyFirst.com News. ‘’So, our tree population is struggling a little bit and we need to get another generation started.’’
One way the City of Danville hopes to get more trees planted is through its Leaf of Legacy program. You can purchase a tree with a diameter of about 2-inches, 8 to 10 feet tall for $200….
(Danville Garden Club keeps social distant during tree planting at South View Upper Elementary School.)
{‘’The tree will be planted by city employees on just about any city-owned property. That would be parks, Harrison Park Golf Course, Danville Stadium, just anywhere within the city that the city would own that land. It also comes with a marker if you want to do a memorial to someone or honor someone.’’}
And Lane says the City of Danville will take care of those trees forever, and will replace them at no charge if something happens to the Leaf of Legacy tree. For more information about the program call the Danville Public Works Department.
