Barely any sun peeked out from the clouds. The wind was cold.
The perfect environment to start growing trees.
“We don't plant when they're in full leaf. It's too stressful on the plant," said Vincent Cotrone, urban forester and natural resource educator for Penn State Extension.
The Diamond City Partnership (DCP) and students from the Wilkes-Barre Area Career & Technical Center planted 84 new trees in tree pits along downtown Wilkes-Barre’s sidewalks. DCP partners with the statewide nonprofit, TreePennsylvania, on the initiative. DCP provides the manpower and TreePennsylvania provides the trees.
The plants do more than just beautify urban areas. They also provide shade and lower the temperatures downtown — sometimes by 10 degrees, said Larry Newman, DCP executive director.
"We recognize that this is a small but mighty way to be able to address multiple issues ... that we are dealing with here in the city of Wilkes Barre," he said.
They also form canopies that help divert heavy rainfall from antiquated storm systems.
"The way that trees help to absorb stormwater in an urban environment can't be overestimated," Newman said.
Cotrone helped the students in the horticulture program plant ginkgo trees along East Northampton Street.
The trees are chosen based on the conditions they can withstand.
"It's going to be hot and dry downtown, right? We're right across from Movies 14 ... you can see our building is about 10 feet away. So if we put a broad spreading maple here, it's going to be tapping on those windows in 20 years. These ginkgos won't do that," he said. "This site's going to get salted quite a bit. So ginkgos will take the salt."
The small group of ornamental horticulture students shoveled dirt and rocks, snipped wires and debris left over from the planting of previous trees, and learned from Cotrone.
George Albright is their teacher. His class has been a part of the project for three years.
"I want the kids to be proud of where they're from. I want the kids to come into the city. I want them to show their families, 'hey, look, I planted that tree, I planted that planter,'" he said.
