“It’s nice when the organizations as a whole can come together and plant all these trees,” Stanley Sportsman’s Club representative Tim Troyer said of the joint tree planting effort put on recently by the Sportsman’s and Lions Clubs, along with help from private individuals, local businesses and students.
With the day for tree planting moved up to Thursday, April 27 after rain was forecast for Arbor Day Friday, the project came after the city opted to fell its ash trees last year.
Argonne Timber and Land was awarded the ash tree removal contract for $95,000. Doing it in one fell swoop was preferred to a piecemeal approach as a way to have the job done.
Come tree planting April 27, a total of 35 volunteers gathered past 9:30 a.m. to help plant the trees while another five prepared lunch for them at the nearby Stanley Community Center.
With adults arriving by car or truck and School Bus 7 dropping off students from Stanley-Boyd at each of the different sites in Stanley, the volunteers got hard to work at Soo Line Park, Fandry, Chapman, and the city brush recycling site, trees lining the approach and sides.
With some 100 trees purchased and planted at a total project cost of $8,700, chosen tree varieties included American Linden, Elm, Hackberry, along with two different types of Locust and five kinds of Maple.
Many hands made light work, with planting done in time for a “100 percent” chance of rain at noon—which rain came down in sprinkled fashion. Those doing the planting gave their thoughts on the what and why, as well as their hopes for the future. Lion Dave Winkler summarized the ‘what’ of the day.
“We’re just out getting the trees planted,” he said as he worked to straighten roots and ensure that a finished planting was straight up and down. Lion Jerry Dirkes, meanwhile, expanded on the ‘why’ of the event.
“One of our goals is environment,” he said. “This is one project we saw for trees that were cut down to be replaced.
With one important planting detail to not put dirt past the ‘knob’ marking the top of the tree roots, Stanley mayor Al Haas spoke on the project led by the Lions and Sportsman’s Club, with additional help from FFA student volunteers.
“The City and I’m sure the residents all appreciate what the Lions and Sportsman’s Clubs have done, buying the trees,” he said. “I also want to thank the businesses and individuals who also bought trees, the school for letting the students come out and help plant the trees and also Kwik Trip for providing the meal for all the workers.” City Council alderwoman Laurie Foster also shared her gratitude for those helping with the work.
“I greatly appreciate them for everything they do in the community,” she said of the volunteers and organizations assembled for a group effort. “That’s what it’s all about, everyone coming together and getting involved.”
With student volunteers giving reasons that ranged all the way from “save the planet” (Carlee Woodcock) and “providing oxygen for the planet” (Larissa Johnson) to “I’ll do anything for free food” (Tyson Shilts), Stanley Public Works director in charge and local schools graduate John Hoel shared his own expectations on what the planting would mark the start of.
“Expectations are that hopefully we have enough variety now so that if another bug comes along we’re good. We still have a lot of cleanup to do. Remove the mulch, add dirt,” he said.
In order to help make the transplants a success, Stanley-Boyd FFA Advisor Jordan Donnerbauer shared some tips to help the recent transplants succeed.
“The tree has four major parts: roots, stems, leaves, and flowers/fruit,” he said. “There are a myriad of differences between trees species when it comes to growth and soil requirements. Certain tree species are much fast growing like Aspen and Spruce and then much slower growing trees like Oak and Hemlock. Even within species there are differences. Silver Maples grow relatively fast whereas Japanese maples are one of the slowest growing,” he said. Fertilizers help, but also important are things like planting depth, water, and leaving pockets of air
With tree roots now in the ground (both watered and fertilized) at their various planting sites and with spring and summer rains still to come, the 100 trees planted across Stanley to replace those lost to the Emerald Ash Borer will provide shade to both present and future generations, after they take root.

See the center spread for more pictures and information about the clubs, businesses and people who helped on the project.