DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – FiveRivers MetroParks announced Tuesday that it is launching a reforestation imitative in 2020 to help with restoring habitat around the Miami Valley after the 2019 Memorial Day tornado outbreak.
The effort, called Healing Nature, has two primary focuses, according to Five Rivers MetroParks:
- “To assist property owners and communities in Montgomery County that were impacted by the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes with tree replacement and habitat restoration”
- “To encourage everyone in the region to take advantage of the access to nature that Five Rivers MetroParks provides as a means of healing respite – mind, body, and soul”
“Five Rivers MetroParks has a specific long-term role to play in efforts to recover from the tornadoes, which is restoring lost habitat and providing respite for our community,” Becky Benna, Five Rivers MetroParks’ executive director, said. “An untold number of trees, shrubs, and other plants critical to our region’s wildlife and natural heritage were lost during the storms. It’s important we replant in the areas where so many were lost to tornado damage.”
Native trees are being grown from seeds at Cox Arboretum MetroPark with thousands of tree seedlings being made available to plant this spring.
Healing Nature will officially kick-off at the Five Rivers MetroParks’ annual park clean-up event, Adopt-a-Park. Volunteers of all ages and accessibility levels are needed for tree planting and other projects.
For more information on the new initiative, click HERE.
