This past week, several trees have been planted in Jefferson.

The Jefferson Tree Committee purchased over 100 trees with grants from Alliant Energy and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and on Tuesday Greene County eighth grade students helped plant over 30 trees on Cedar Street. Then on Thursday, students in high school ag teacher Raelyn Harris classes planted another 50 trees also on Cedar Street and six more in Daubendiek Park. 

Harris said her students also helped last year with planting trees at Russell Park and the animal shelter. She talked about the benefits of having high school students pitch in with these kinds of community betterment projects.

“So it’s just been something that we’ve been able to give back to the community. And with FFA and the ag classes community service is huge of wanting to make sure that students are aware of it, but then we also get the aspect of the educational side of how to plant trees properly, (and) what are the different types of trees that we are planting. And then they are able to go see these like throughout the next couple of years while they’re still in town or throughout their life as they see these trees grow up.” 

Tree Committee member Margaret Hamilton said another 10-15 trees will be planted next week along Olive Street. She pointed out that their committee selects a location every year to plant trees as the Public Works crews remove them. Hamilton noted that about 450 ash trees have been taken down in Jefferson, with another 150 to be removed. The kinds of trees that were selected this year included swamp white oak, sycamore, redbud, hackberry, linden, and Kentucky coffee trees.