by Trish Rudder
Dave O’Connell of Friends of the North Berkeley Rail Trail (NBRT) is calling for volunteers on Saturday, November 5 at 10 a.m. to help plant 19 trees and shrubs at the NBRT Trail Head.
He said on Friday that the Town of Bath Tree Board worked with the WV Division of Forestry to purchase the trees and shrubs that will be planted at the trail head (Lot 3) near the Berkeley Springs Train Depot.
“I need volunteers to help with planting and landscaping,” O’Connell said.
He said the new plantings are in the same area as the forsythia plantings at the trail head.
“The forsythia is taking root and we are developing the area of the future trail,” he said.
All the volunteers need to sign in first where O’Connell has a table set up on the back side of the depot.
The volunteers will receive their team assignment from O’ Connell, and then a brief training session for proper tree/shrub planting and fertilizing will be held before the volunteer teams begin planting.
He said pre-dug holes will have colored flags to define the tree to be planted, as follows: White – American Hornbeam; Pink – Kwanzan Cherry; Blue – Winter King Hawthorn; and Orange w/X – Pragense Viburnum (Shrubs).
Volunteers can bring work gloves, rakes and shovels, wheelbarrow or garden carts and mallets for stakes, but that’s optional, he said.
O’Connell said he will take a group picture around noon, and then he will give a tour of the train depot to show them how the rehabilitation project is moving forward.
He can be reached at 304- 886-1275 or by email at friendsnbrt@gmail.com.
