Volunteers Needed to Wrap Trees for LL&W's MillionTrees Project

?????Davenport, IA/March 19, 2013 - Chad Pregracke's Quad Cities-based environmental group needs volunteers for the MillionTrees project which improves the health of rivers in the Midwest, by re-establishing hardwoods that have been depleted by over-harvesting, flooding and disease. Living Lands & Waters, an East Moline, Illinois non-profit organization is planning to distribute its 500,000^th tree this spring.

Volunteers will be asked to help with the following:  bundling trees in newspaper, dipping roots in water, placing trees in bags, and/or tying. Participating children must be supervised.  Volunteers are asked to wear warm and comfortable clothes that can get dirty.  Trees will be distributed in April to individuals, families, schools, park districts, businesses and organizations throughout 10 states.  The goal of the MillionTrees Project is to grow and plant 1 MILLION trees.

Tree wrapping events will take place from 9am to 5pm Thursday, March 28^th through Sunday, March 31^st in the North Hall of the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island. The QCCA Expo Center is located at 2621 4th Avenue, Rock Island. Registration is not required, but recommended, especially for groups of 10 or more.  Volunteers can come and go as you please; stay for one hour, a couple hours or all day.

Volunteers, including families with children, are invited to take part in the tree wrapping event. "Wrapping 100,000 trees takes a lot of work" said Chad Pregracke, founder and President of Living Lands & Waters.  Pregracke adds, "It's a great venue to help the community and educate people on why trees are important."

Trees provide shelter and nut-bearing hardwoods are a viable food source for wildlife and migratory birds.  Slow-growing hardwoods like oaks have a harder time re-establishing themselves without help, and are often crowded out by faster growing species, like cottonwoods, willow and silver maples. Re-establishing hardwoods helps increase biodiversity, reduce erosion and run-off and improve water and air quality.

Anyone interested in volunteering may contact MillionTrees Project Coordinator, Ashley Stover at Ashley@livinglandsandwaters.org or at 309.737.5913. More information on the MillionTrees Project can be found at www.livinglandsandwaters.org/get-involved/million-trees

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