On Saturday, September 24th the London Britain Township Land Trust was joined by over 100 volunteers made up of Scout Packs 41 and 42, University of Delaware students, Township representatives, and community members to plant 175 trees along the banks of Christina River. The location of the tree planting project was within the Mason Dixon Greenway near the Elbow Lane entrance and Maryland border. The goals of the TreeVitalize grant that provided the funding were two-fold: 1) Mitigate storm water runoff; 2) Enhance the natural resources of the greenway. Planting and maintaining riparian trees provides many measurable environmental benefits. Trees filter pollutants from stormwater, improve infiltration, moderate temperatures through shading and evapotranspiration, capture carbon dioxide and absorb air pollutants, and provide wildlife habitat. Planting tress within the Mason Dixon Greenway is especially important as it contains the Christina River. The Christina River watershed provides more than 75% of the drinking water supply for New Castle County Delaware. The native trees and shrubs planted as part of the project will reduce runoff and pollution during times of heavy and prolonged precipitation. Beyond the environmental benefits, the Land Trust was thrilled to see multigenerational community members coming together showing commitment to their township, their children, and future generations. The London Britain Township Land Trust who spearheaded the project would like to thank everyone who generously gave of their time and enthusiasm. The funding to complete this important project was provided by the TreeVitalize Watershed Program administered by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The goal of TreeVitalize is to support tree planting along stream corridors resulting in over 100,000 trees planted on yearly basis in southeastern Pennsylvania.
