Utica Park Planting

-Submitted by Shannon Moore
Project Manager
Frederick County Watershed Management Section

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A volunteer planting took place April 21, 2007 from 7AM-noon at the new Utica Park in Thurmont, Maryland.  The park officially opened on April 26 at 2 PM, and the volunteers were recognized at the event.  Utica Park is in the Fishing Creek Watershed.

Mike Kay from the DNR Forest Service developed and donated the Forest Stewardship Plan, provided tree tubes, and lent tools (And Mike- we promise to get you a new mallet to replace the one that disappeared!).  Shannon Moore, head of the Frederick County Watershed Management Section, coordinated the project partners as wells as outreach, recruitment, and news articles in area newspapers.  Jason Jenkins of the Frederick County Parks and Recreation Division managed the purchase, provided the mulch, augured the holes, and coordinated the planting of 483 containerized trees from TreeMendous. Colleen Langan of Potomac Conservancy’s Growing Native Program provided 200 seedlings and coordinated volunteers at the planting event.  Volunteers included members of the New Forest Society, Cub Scout and Boy Scout pack 570, Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church Youth Group, the Potomac Conservancy, and a local bicycle group. Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee (MUCFC) donated $1,000 to the event, and Frederick County Government contributed almost $25,000. 

The park is now open for business!  The ballfields on the park will open after July 4 to give time for the turf to grow.  The first phase of the park has been built, which includes a gigantic picnic shelter.  Future phases include a demonstration farming operation and a potential wetland restoration project.  Visit the park at 10200-B Old Frederick Road, Thurmont, MD 21788 and take a look at all of the trees our volunteers and staff planted!

Colleen Langan of the Potomac Conservancy works the turf
prior to planting a seedling.  Colleen coordinates the
Growing Native Project and provided 200 seedling tree
for the volunteer planting event.

Tree Man, also known as Gabriel Carswell, of Cub Scout Pack 570,
helps Elizabeth Prongas of the New Forest Society to put a tree
tube on their newly plated tree.  Gabriel’s mom Vicky protects the tree.

Volunteers from the Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist
Youth Group put a tree tube on their newly planted tree.

Parks staff augers holes for the 483 larger trees to be
planted at the new Utica Park.

Two parks staff plant one of the larger trees while four other
staff members look on and offer advice.  Jason Jenkins,
the park foreman, is on the left. 

Kay Schultz from Frederick County’s Watershed Management
Section and Mike Kassakatis, volunteer, plant a larger tree.