The Friends of White Clay Creek State Park are getting ready to plant over 1,000 new trees in the park.
The new trees - 1,250 of them - come thanks to a grant from the Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative, or TEDI. About half of the trees will be oaks, with other native trees making up the rest. All told, the trees will cover an expanse of more than four acres.
But planting those trees, expected to happen this spring, comes with a challenge. Saplings are attractive food for deer. David Koppeser with the Friends of White Clay State Park says before the trees go into the ground, the group has to keep them safe from deer.
“The deer is the big challenge," he said. "Because they are a hungry group of creatures and this is adjacent, of course, to a forest in White Creek Creek State Park. So the protection from deer is a critical issue.”
To keep the saplings safe from deer and manage the rest of the planting process, the Friends group is calling on volunteers.
"We are, between now and the end of March, having large groups of volunteers come out - to help with putting the fence in, help with the planting," he said.
To volunteer, you can visit WhiteClay Friends.org.
