By Robert Lucke
Havre's own Johnny Appleseed, Gary Hillson, is at it again and needs help in planting thirteen hundred seedlings at Beaver Creek Reservoir this Saturday.
"Thirteen hundred seedlings are coming in on Saturday morning," said Hillson. "There will be Colorado blue spruce, Austrian pine and some green ash."
Those seedlings need to be planted quickly that day. "I am hoping to get help enough to plant all of them on Saturday," Hillson added. "We will meet Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. at the boat ramp on the east side of the lake."
A donated lunch will be provided to all those assisting in the planting, Hillson indicated.
The trees are free to Hillson and Beaver Creek Park.
"These trees are acquired by Stream-Team USA out of Great Falls," Hillson added. "Michael Dalton did all the paper work and follow up with the nurseries."
The trees will be planted in bays and areas of Beaver Creek Reservoir where they can be close to the water line so they have a better chance of surviving, said Hillson.
Beaver Creek Reservoir is better known as the first lake in Beaver Creek Park, approximately ten miles south of Havre's Fifth Avenue.
Last year Hillson planted 150 blue spruce, Austrian pine and Black Hills spruce around the reservoir, complete with signs indicating folks out there to "water me".
Those trees, most in the foot to two foot height, were donated to Beaver Creek Park by Larry Adams of Badland Trees and Landscaping along with the Havre Kmart store.
Of the 150 trees that Hillson planted last year, 65 to 70 survived the winter, he reported.
If helping Havre's Johnny Appleseed is your thing, Saturday, 9:00 a.m. at the Beaver Creek Reservoir boat ramp is the place.
