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STAR in Action: Planting Trees & Hope |
On an overcast morning in September,
more than 150 Triana, Alabama residents and guests from as far
away as New Jersey gathered in Flamingo Park to celebrate their
first Arbor Day. But they didn't mind the clouds. As far as they
were concerned, the sun was shining all around.
With fewer than 500 residents, Triana was once a bustling, vibrant community. Then, in 1978, trace elements of PCB and DDT, two environmentally harmful substances, were detected in the local Wheeler Reservoir, where townspeople had fished and drawn water for years.
It was a devastating blow made worse by the loss of a beloved mayor who had worked tirelessly for the community. The community suffered during those years. Marilyn Simpson-Johnson, an Extension family welfare specialist based at Alabama A&M University in nearby Huntsville, had seen rapid urban growth undermine other at-risk urban communities. And while she realized that economic growth and revitalization were essential to Triana's future, she didn't want this to occur at the expense of community values and local traditions.
What was needed, she reasoned, was a spark---a project that would bring townspeople together to work toward the common goal of revitalizing the town while maintaining its character. Working through Auburn University's School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, she helped organize a local tree board to spearhead revitalization of Flamingo Park. Trees are increasingly perceived as a valuable social commodity in any community, especially those coping with problems such as teen drug abuse, domestic violence, and unemployment.
Another key player in the tree-planting
initiative was Brenda Allen, an Extension specialist in urban
forestry. Allen played a critical role in helping Triana secure
a grant from the Alabama Urban and Community Forestry Association
to launch the tree-planting initiative. Extension also worked
with the board and other public and private partners to undertake
other restoration efforts. Soon after, a ripple effect followed
as more townspeople became actively engaged in these efforts.
Today, the park and nearby wildlife refuge have been equipped with new playground equipment, picnic tables, and an outdoor learning pavilion. The USDA Forest Service also has been enlisted to teach Project Learning Tree materials to members of the local Boys and Girls Clubs and Triana Girls, Inc.
The Arbor Day celebration also marked another milestone for the town. Holding the celebration was the last requirement for obtaining eligibility as a Certified Tree City---another result of the tree board's tireless efforts. Most important of all, it marked a new day for Triana. In addition to planting new trees, the townspeople planted new hopes and breathed new life into their community.
"All you have to do in Triana is plant a seed and we will nurture it and water it," observes Triana mayor Marvelene Freeman.
"This has been made possible through the efforts of a lot of local people, but the person who really got it going was Marilyn Johnson."