Tree Planting

To complete Life Rank advancement requirements, Brandt needs to complete six service hours, three of which have to be conservation related.  He has been doing service in the library at school in conjunction with the Reading merit badge, but that doesn't really count as being good for the environment.  I looked at JustServe.org to see what service projects were available in the area, and found something that totally fit the bill.  It was tree planting along the Jordan River Parkway, and they had two, three-hour shifts today.  What could be better?  It was in Draper, so it could have been closer, but all in all, a terrific way to help conservationally.

I had initially planned to have us all go help plant, but this morning, as Kent and I lay in bed, he suggested that Blythe and I stay home while he and Brandt go plant.  I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me to do it that way.  Blythe didn't want to go, I had lots to do at home, and Kent is now the scout master, so it was practically his job, not just his parental duty.

Kent and Brandt drove to Draper, had difficulty finding the group, but eventually were given lots of trees and told where to plant.  There were flags marking planting spots, and Kent and Brandt got to it.  It was boring according to Brandt, and quite hard according to Kent.  The holes had to be deep, deeper than the black plastic around the saplings in the picture below, and the ground was rocky.  Kent did way more work than Brandt, digging the holes, but Brandt shifted rocks and dirt, and got trees.  They managed to plant three in the three hours they were there.  That's a bit discouraging, but three is better than two or one or none.

The group that organized the planting did provide lunch, the highlight for Brandt.  Brandt had 2 1/2 sandwiches.  Hooray for service and conservation, boy scouts and father-son time.