Health & Environment

Hug-A-Tree Project in Christopher Columbus Park by North End Girl Scouts Juniors Troop

The Friends of Christopher Columbus Tree and Bench Sponsorship Program was recently contacted by the North End Girl Scouts Juniors Troop #72158. They had been studying trees and created this “Hug-A-Tree” project to support the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park on behalf of the trees in the Park. The following letter is from the Troop:

By: Nell Jacobsen, Madeline Kim, Fiala Kraman, Julia Morellato, and Jordan Whitney

Why, you might ask yourself, did the North End Girl Scouts Juniors Troop 72158 choose this particular crabapple tree to “HUG?” We created this “Hug-A-Tree” project because we wanted to make a positive impact on the environment. We have been learning about trees all year, and we wanted to help trees in our neighborhood. We decided to donate some of the money we earned from selling Girl Scout cookies to the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park (FOCCP) to help them take care of the trees.  We hugged this tree as a symbol of our donation. This tree stuck out, because we saw it as a work of art. It has a really unique shape, and we decided people would enjoy noticing it.

“Hugging” this tree is also the perfect way to send a word of hope across our neighborhood. Since the Coronavirus keeps the troop from doing activities together, in order to “hug” the tree, we each sent ribbons to one girl’s home who made a ribbon chain representing our hug. Then on Wednesday, April 22, which was also Earth Day, the ribbon was tied around the tree’s trunk. Each girl visited the tree separately over the week with her family.

Our troop was really excited to help make people happy in these difficult times, and we hope this will make everyone feel optimistic. Because of what is going on, people might feel sad and/or discouraged. If we each do just little things to help, this won’t be a problem. The more we help our community, the more it will add up. If you give to your local area by helping plant flowers and help clean up parks, all of these things will eventually give back. By making our world a better place, we will live in fresher air, and people will be happier with nature spread around.

We were also hugging this tree as a way to spread awareness about Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 24). This week was the perfect time to help out local nature. That is why Earth Day is so important. Earth Day is an annual event held on April 22nd since 1970. It was created to celebrate the planet’s environment and raise public awareness about pollution. 

People celebrate Earth Day in many different ways. Some people hold celebrations to appreciate the environment by planting flowers or greenery, and some people try to lower their plastic usage to stop pollution. In short, Earth Day is a celebration of this wonderful planet and how we can save it! Arbor Day is a special day to celebrate trees and how they help our environment.

Speaking of trees, all trees need care. Everyone in the city of Boston can help care for trees by doing just little things. You could raise awareness for trees by telling your friends about how trees are amazing or by posting a picture of a tree on social media.

You could do something active such as picking up trash on the ground near the tree so that the tree’s soil is not affected, or you could fill the green plastic bags with water that are placed around the trunks of the younger trees that have been recently planted. Those bags help the new trees survive when they are just starting out since they need a lot of water to grow in the beginning. Contact the City of Boston by calling 311 or using the App to report tree issues or to request the city to plant a tree, to create new life in an old place. You can also let the City know when a tree needs to be trimmed. 

Trees are truly amazing. They provide more than just beauty. Trees are homes to millions of creatures, they take in the extra carbon dioxide out of the air, and they provide us with oxygen so we all can thrive. Without trees, Earth would not be the planet that it is. Cities all over the whole world need to take care of trees. Let’s start with Boston!

Sincerely,
The North End Girl Scouts Juniors Troop 72158

If you have interest in sponsoring a bench or tree in Christopher Columbus Park to celebrate a special person or event, please contact Meghan Denenberg & Mary Gaye Grizwin at Bench@foccp.org or 781-639-6002. Visit www.FOCCP.org for more information.

3 Replies to “Hug-A-Tree Project in Christopher Columbus Park by North End Girl Scouts Juniors Troop

  1. Thank you for the beautiful letter encouraging our community to appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature and to the Troop for selecting Christopher Columbus Park as their project. That happens to be my favorite tree in the park too. I volunteer in the park’s rose garden and hope to thank you in person someday.

  2. This was really an awesome act of kindness by the Girl Scouts. Congratulations to all of the young ladies who participated in this wonderful activity and helped make our community a better place! Thanks also to the scout leaders who helped organize such a fantastic project.

  3. I was moved by the actions of this outstanding Girl Scout Troop. Your actions are an inspiration and reminder
    to everyone, who reads this Blog that the future of America is in very good hands. You are a source of pride to your parents, Community , Troop Leader and the Girl Scouts Organization.

    Thank you for making my day much brighter.

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