Back row, from left to right: Chuck Burr, Bob Schulz, Front row: Louisa Ridgway, Gray Halton, Mary Burr

Since the summer of 2010, nine volunteers from Springton Lake Village have been watering trees at Thomas Field and Marple Gardens Park. Their neighbor, Louisa Ridgway, a member of the Marple Tree Commission, recruited them to help water newly planted trees. This group of volunteers couldn’t be more enthusiastic about their jobs. Gray Halton loves visiting Marple Gardens Park, where her tree is located. Chuck and Mary Burr, who have become very fond of their tree at Thomas Field, have named her PaTREEcia.

These Tree Adopters and their fellow residents at Springton Lake Village, located by Springton Lake Reservoir, have taken many steps to protect the environment and to restore and preserve Marple’s community forest.  Driving through the complex, one sees common areas planted as meadows to provide habitat for native plants, insects, and birds including many bluebirds.  Trees are planted everywhere.  In February 2012, Springton Lake Village and the CRC Watersheds Association received a grant for the planting of 40 trees and 10 shrubs at the edge of the reservoir to enhance the tree canopy and to combat erosion.  The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection, Aqua PA, and in-kind contributions funded the grant program, which is coordinated through the PA Horticultural Society’s TreeVitalize Watershed program and the Delaware County Conservation District.