Aase Wilking, left, and Ryan Kikendall take a wheelbarrow of bald cypress trees to be planted around a retention pond near Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. Columbus East senior Kade Kikendall organized a group of student and non-student volunteers to plant trees around the pond. The trees were planted as part of a bicentennial project to plant 200 trees in Bartholomew County. Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Local volunteers and organizations are planning to plant more than 200 trees as a way to celebrate the Columbus and Bartholomew County bicentennial while also helping the environment.
Organizers got a little closer to the milestone number at the beginning of this month, as volunteers showed up at an area just south of Columbus East High School to plant 43 bald cypress trees. East student Kade Kikendall led the day’s effort for his senior project, and about 30 volunteers arrived to help. Kade estimated that about 10 were East students and four were from North.
“I could not have asked for a better turnout,” he said. “We finished in about 45 minutes (very quickly) and everyone seemed to be enthusiastic about planting.”
Kade and his fellow volunteers’ work is just one part of a larger project.
Columbus Pollinator Committee Chairman Eric Riddle said that thanks to a “tremendous outpouring of support from many funding sources,” organizers of the bicentennial tree planting project will be able to plant more than 200 trees in Bartholomew County between this fall and spring of 2022. Riddle has worked with partners on the committee on grant writing, tree selection and developing a volunteer planting plan.
The very first tree for this project was a tulip poplar planted at Breeding Farm during the Reeves Festival. The event was chosen due to its historical significance, said Riddle, and the species was chosen because it is the Indiana state tree. Organizers will work with the Bartholomew County Historical Society and Master Gardeners to plant more trees at the farm next year.
Ninety percent or more of the trees planted for the bicentennial project will be native species, Riddle said.
“Native trees have evolved over hundreds of years to thrive in Indiana’s environment,” he explained. “Native trees are a powerhouse for supporting pollinators. Birds, caterpillars, bees, butterflies and other pollinators have evolved with the native trees to consume their flowers, nuts and leaves as a primary food source.”
A non-native species, on the other hand, can be potentially damaging, whether it happens to be a plant or an animal — such as the Emerald Ash Borer beetle. This insect can cause ash trees to lose most of their canopy within two years of infestation and die within three to four years.
These same beetles are the reason that a line of trees near Kade’s home are in constant need of treatment — and ultimately the reason he joined the tree planting project.
“I decided that planting trees somewhere in Bartholomew County in order to alleviate some of the loss would be a good project to undertake,” he said. He then discovered the bicentennial planting project and was able to get involved, with Riddle acting as his senior project mentor.
Leading the tree planting at East, Kade’s work has included organizing materials, learning how to plant trees and teaching others to do so, gathering volunteers and getting project approval from the city.
The Columbus Board of Works approved the East planting at a meeting last month. Assistant Director Melissa Begley with the City of Columbus-Bartholomew County Planning Department said that city officials felt that voting on approval seemed necessary given that this specific planting would take place on city property. Riddle noted that Randy Royer from Hitchcock Design Group worked on the plan for this section.
“I have always had an appreciation for nature, but I have never done any kind of conservation efforts before this,” Kade said. “I do enjoy the work that I am doing and plan on doing more like this in the future.”
According to Riddle, the idea for a tree planting at East originated with the Columbus Tree Canopy Partners’ plans for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in 2020.
“The plan was delayed and became a perfect project to be part of Bicentennial Tree Planting,” he said. “The collaboration with the Columbus Tree Canopy Partners really helped to get this project launched in 2021.”
This past April, Riddle gave a Columbus Pollinator Committee presentation to the Columbus Rotary Club (of which he is a member) and discussed the concept of a bicentennial tree planting project. President Ben Wagner and Community Service Chair Mandy Wyant were in favor of this and committed Rotary to donate $1,000 towards the project.
The idea was later discussed at a pollinator committee meeting. Individuals from Purdue Extension, the Bartholomew County Parks Department and the Bartholomew County Soil and Water Conservation District became involved in planning the endeavor.
“Carrie Tauscher, DNR State Urban Forestry Coordinator, spoke at a Sierra Club meeting in August and encouraged us to write a DNR grant,” Riddle added. “She inspired us to raise more money and potentially plant more than 200 trees.”
Riddle said a number of organizations have been involved with the project including the pollinator committee, Columbus Tree Canopy Partners, Rotary, city and county parks departments, the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., Purdue Extension and the Bartholomew County Soil and Water Conservation District. He also told the Columbus Board of Works that Toyota Material Handling and Dorel have expressed interest in helping with the project.
In discussing his involvement with the project, Kade expressed thanks to Riddle, his friends and family, the DNR, the city, Independent Land Surveying Inc, Columbus East High School, and East Principal Mark Newell.
According to Riddle, the bicentennial tree planting project has a budget of $30,920, including a $10,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation to the Columbus Parks Foundation and a $7,420 grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
He added that funds have also been provided by the Columbus Parks Foundation, Bartholomew County Parks, Cummins, Columbus Rotary Club, the Sierra Club, the Bartholomew Consolidated School Foundation, the Community Church of Columbus, First United Methodist Church, Unitarian Universalist and First Presbyterian Church.
Both Riddle and Kade expressed hope about what the project can provide for residents.
“The area around Bartholomew County is beautiful,” Kade said. “I feel like people do not appreciate what the county offers as much as they should. I hope this project inspires people to go outside and enjoy nature more, even if it is just for a few minutes at a time.”
He added that the area where the trees are being planted is “still very empty” and that he hopes other seniors will continue developing the land into a place “the entire community can enjoy.”
In addition, Riddle said that a healthy tree canopy can provide benefits such as helping air quality, diversifying local habitats, limiting storm water, providing shade, and improving property values.
He noted that some of the trees they plant will live to see another 200 years and more.
“Being able to plant something during this year’s bicentennial celebration that may be around for people living in Bartholomew County in 200 years is a remarkable gift to share with future generations,” he said.
