Roosevelt students plant native sycamore for Arbor Day celebration

Students with Kent Roosevelt High School’s Forestry and Landscape Management program recently received some valuable on-the-job training — and helped Ohio regain a little of itself in the process.

The students’ efforts were part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ 75th anniversary celebration, with the organization providing a native tree and commemorative marker for each county in Ohio. Portage County received a sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis).

The American sycamore is considered the largest deciduous tree in North America, growing as high as 100 feet tall with a spread of 40 to 70 feet. It’s a fast-growing tree that lives for hundreds of years, and it “is an excellent tree to plant for stormwater retention, since a 14-inch-diameter sycamore can retain over 3,000 gallons of stormwater annually,” said Lynn Vogel, stormwater educator with the Portage Soil & Water Conservation District.

Phillips Park in Franklin Township was the site selected to receive the native tree — and with a state goal of planting all 88 trees before Arbor Day on April 26, the Portage planting made it just under the wire. On April 25, ODNR foresters and staff were on hand to deliver the tree, set the marker and assist the Kent Roosevelt FLM students in planting the tree. FLM Director Kyle Kutinsky, along with recently retired program assistant John Lang, oversaw the work of the program’s 10 juniors.

However, planting a native tree was only part of the day’s task.

Roosevelt’s FLM students and staff also removed several exotic invasive species from Phillips Park, including Bradford pear trees. Bradford, or Callery, pear trees are an Asian species that was planted in great numbers throughout the Midwest over the last 30 years. Bradford pear trees easily cross-pollinate with other types of pear trees, and they are so invasive that they crowd out other native plants and provide little to no food for insects. What’s more, their one-inch thorns are thick enough to shred tractor tires.

“Numerous non-native invasive plant species are taking a toll on both the economic and ecological benefits that Ohio’s forests and natural areas provide,” Vogel said. “As concerned citizens, we need to take an active role in preventing the spread of invasive species. The easiest way to do that is to make every effort to only plant Ohio native species in your home landscape. There are many aesthetically pleasing, tough, Ohio native plants from which to choose.”

Vogel advises contacting your local soil & water conservation district or the Ohio State Master Gardeners for assistance in choosing native plants that are appropriate for your landscape.

Felling the invasive pear trees provided some teachable moments for the FLM students. Not only did Kutinsky and Lang work closely with them to demonstrate safety procedures and instruct them through each step as they practiced various field operations, but at one point Kutinsky had to climb one of the pear trees and cut it down limb by limb because it was growing between multiple power lines. Throughout that delicate process, Kutinsky remained in constant communication with students working on the ground to move the brush efficiently while also staying out of harm’s way.

“It was impressive to see the work ethic demonstrated by the students and equally impressive to see the camaraderie that exists between the students and their instructors,” Vogel said. “All in all, it was a job well done.”