Rogers City plants for the future
ROGERS CITY, Mich. — 25 volunteers helped the Presque Isle Conservation District plant trees in Rogers City Saturday.
From 10 AM to noon, the group planted 50 trees in the Herman Vogler Conservation Area. The event highlighted proper planting methods, tree care, and community service.
Forester Brittany VanderWall told WBKB the trees ranged from northeast natives to mid-Michigan neighbors.
The reason for this variety?
VanderWall said it’s to encourage the community to think about the future impacts of climate change.
“It’s a little more brutal up here with our colder winters. So some of those trees traditionally wouldn’t grow up here all year ’round — there may be sparse populations. What I mean by ‘assisted species migration’ is pushing that tree line a little bit further north to account for, like, the longer growing seasons that will happen because of climate change.”
Sugar maple, red oak, and white birch were just a few of the downstate species planted in the region.
VanderWall said she’ll keep an eye on these trees. She plans on tracking their growth to better integrate them in the future.
