Sportsmen’s Club holding tree initiative at St. Olaf Lake

Within the past few months, 11 trees have been planted at St. Olaf Lake Park east of New Richland. Funds to cover the purchase and planting for nine of the trees were donated by area residents, many as a memorial to a family member. In addition to covering costs for some trees already planted, the Sportsmen’s Club has put forward funds for two trees with the intent of creating an opportunity for additional donors to cover the costs and have their loved ones listed on a plaque which will be posted on the pavilion at the park.

 

Those who donate trees may name a departed loved one, or may choose a brief message to be included on the plaque. So far, donors who have covered the cost of a tree include Pam Strenge (2 trees), members of the St. Olaf Lake Association (2 trees), and the families of David Smith, Shawn Young and Jane Wagner, as well as the Sportsmen.

 

Club leader Lee Mendenhall shares that the Sportsmen’s Club put together a tree-planting initiative after learning 22 oak trees at the park had died and been removed. He says the club regrets seeing the loss of the “savanna” style landscape the oak trees created, and is working to encourage the planting of new trees to preserve the park’s beautiful, peaceful atmosphere.

 

Replacement trees have trunks two to three inches thick, and have been selected for being suitable for the space and likely to thrive in the existing conditions. They were professionally planted by Rocks and Roots Landscaping of Hartland.

 

The cost to sponsor a tree is $500. Anyone wanting further information can contact Lee Mendenhall at 507-475-1444.

 

The new trees are not oaks. Experts who were consulted about the dying trees admitted they could not identify a specific cause, but were at least able to eliminate oak wilt, a highly contagious airborne disease. Oak trees, experts said, have been dying in fairly large numbers throughout the Great Lakes Region for the past few years. Aging, highly variable rainfall from year to year, and susceptibility to insect infection created by stressful conditions are all possible causes.