Tree2003

Tree2003 brought together a legion of volunteer families, corporate teams, and civic groups with the goal of planting 2003 trees in one day! This planting endeavor was the largest, volunteer, tree-planting event to ever take place in the Greater Austin area. With their shovels, spirit, and smiles, hundreds of central Texas residents shaded their parks, enhanced their neighborhoods, and improved their communities. Tree2003 included sites in Austin, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Lakeway, Round Rock, Bastrop and Travis County.

Mary with TreeFolks and Will Wynn, Austin City Council Member.

Tree 2003 participants were invited to join a representative from Congressman Lloyd Doggett's office, Austin city council member Will Wynn, event corporate sponsors, and dignitaries from central Texas communities to help with the ceremonial planting of the last two trees at the Robert Johnson State Office Building at 15th and Congress. The planting of these trees celebrated the culmination of Tree2003, a region-wide, volunteer day of planting. (Public Works Employees, Jason Alfaro, Thomas Calvert and Alan Cook went to Austin and helped planted the ceremonial trees)

Tree2003, a project of TreeFolks, was sponsored by Motorola, KGSR 107.1, Austin American-Statesman and the Austin Chronicle. Our site partners include Hornsby Bend Treatment Facility, Lakeway Vista ISD, Friends of the Parks, Nature Conservancy,Travis County, State of Texas and the cities of Austin, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Bastrop, Lakeway, and Round Rock.

Courtesy of the Bastrop Advertiser
Written by Karol Rice

With help from the Bastrop City Public Works Dept. and Home Depot, TreeFolks were in Fisherman's Park Feb. 1 to plant 25 red oaks, live oaks and various fruit trees as a part of a regional tree-planting program. Saturday's goal was to plant 2003 trees across Central Texas in one day, with the final two trees planted on the grounds of the State Capitol in Austin.
Monty Blackmon. Director of City Public Works, Lee Weatherford. Superintendent of City Public Works and employees of Home Depot were among the planters.

When asked how Home Depot became involved, general manager Mike Arnett said they asked Public Works why they were buying all the trees and were told of the project. "As the environment is a primary focus of Home Depot, we wanted to support this effort. Programs such as this are important to the community and all of us at Home Depot wanted to be involved. When we give to the community in this way, we are also helping ourselves. We all live here and we want to continue to make Bastrop a wonderful place to live and raise a family:" he said.

This year's participation is a continuation of the city's tree replacement program started in 1999. According to Blackmon prior to Saturday's plantings, 145 trees have been planted and 60 cypress seedlings have been put in the arbor greenhouse with the hopes of reestablishing cypress trees along the Colorado. Cypress once grew there in abundance until milled out in the early. I900s.

Established in 1989, TreeFoks has planted approximately 10,000 trees at more than 180 sites. TreeFolks, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to regenerating the urban forests of Central Texas. For more information, contact Mary McCarthy. Executive Director, at (512) 443-5323 in Austin.

At left: Monty Blackmon, director of Bastrop Public Works and Parks.
Above: Bastrop Parks employees plant trees in Austin at the capitol building.

Left and above: Scott Harris of TreeFolks plants the first tree of the event at Fisherman's Park in Bastrop.

Above: Earth mover at Fisherman's Park, driven by parks worker Allen Cook.
Right: Mike Gonzales, Home Depot Store Mgr.