Be Part of the Tree-Planting Movement – the OMP Tree Committee Can Help

If you’ve noticed new young trees popping up along our Old Mission Peninsula roads, you can thank the Memorial Tree Committee for that. They’re part of the Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society, and they’ve been busy planting trees all year. They will also plant trees on YOUR property – more on that later.

The Memorial Tree Project started in September 1999 under the direction of Rebecca and Leo Nothstine. Since then, more than 650 trees have been planted and nourished on the Old Mission Peninsula, with more than 250 of those dedicated as Memorial Trees.

The current Tree Committee, comprised of Brian Brooks, Jim Hall and Laura Johnson, often enlists the help of the local Boy Scout Troop, pictured at the top of this story at a tree-planting session on the corner of Gray Road and Center Road. That was a couple of years ago in The Before Times.

And below are some of the trees they’ve planted around the Old Mission Peninsula – at Bowers Harbor Park; on Center Road near Swaney Road (Ted Ayers’ barn is gone now); on the corner of Center Road and Kroupa Road; and on Kelly Hill (on Center Road about a mile south of Winery Hill/Chateau Grand Traverse).

The Memorial Tree Committee also planted the Covid Memorial Tree at Peninsula Community Library in August. Click here to see more photos and read the story (yours truly played her violin for the ceremony).

Be Part of the Tree-Planting Movement

The Tree Committee is available to plant trees on your property, as well, and they’re especially looking for landowners along the major thoroughfares. You’ll not only be providing shade and all the other benefits of trees, but you’re also helping to restore the Peninsula’s roadside tree lines to their former glory of some 100 years ago. A couple of ways you can help…

1. Planting Trees Along Roadsides. If you own property along one of the major roads and are willing to have the Tree Committee plant trees on your property outside of any road or utility easements, contact Brian Brooks at [email protected]. There is no cost for this.

2. Funding Memorial Trees. If you are interested in dedicating or memorializing a tree on behalf of someone, you can do so by filling out this form on the OMPHS website. The cost of a memorial tree is $100, and this is the primary way the Tree Committee raises money to continue to plant trees along the roadsides.

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