OSKALOOSA LIONS PLANT TREES

Oskaloosa Lion Pat Scanlon prepares soil for tree seedlings at Nelson Pioneer Farm

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Oskaloosa Lions Club planted 15 trees in May as part of the Lions Clubs International Million Tree Planting campaign.

Ten seedlings were planted at Nelson Pioneer Farm outside of Oskaloosa on May 16. The Pioneer Farm lost several of its trees during severe thunderstorms in 2011. The seedlings were planted in a fenced tree nursery behind the history Daniel Nelson home, where they will grow protected from wildlife and the riding lawn mower for the first year. Sometime next year, the Lions will return to the Pioneer Farm to transplant the trees to their permanent homes on the 700-acre historical museum site. The mix of trees was selected to attract and feed wild song birds once the trees are grown.

Lions also planted 5 additional trees for the Oskaloosa Public Library’s new reading garden. Because the library still has some foot path work to do before the trees are planted, two dogwoods and three junipers were planted in pots to nurse them until the library project is far enough along for the trees to go to their new home.

International President Wing-Kun Tam challenged Lions clubs around the world to plant one million trees during the 2011-2012 club year. The 15 trees planted by Oskaloosa Lions Club were part of the 9.7 million trees Lions have planted worldwide in response to the challenge.

Oskaloosa Lions meet the second Tuesday of each month at the Oskaloosa Public Library, meeting room C on the third floor.