Thousands of trees are on the move in Savannah.
The Savannah Tree Foundation, a source of free trees for many Savannahians looking to spruce up their yards, is moving its tree nursery to a new location at Bethesda Academy.
The foundation works to make sure the “Forest City” continues to deserve its name. Since its founding in 1982, it has planted more than 6,000 trees in Chatham County and given away more than 12,000 trees. Its nursery is where staff and volunteers grow many of the trees that end up gracing Savannah’s yards and public spaces.
Moving more than 5,000 trees—ranging from seedlings to young trees already several feet tall—from the original nursery location at the SeaPoint
Industrial Terminal Complex is no small feat, especially for a staff of six people. The work has been going on all summer and will probably stretch into November, said Jackson Alexander, executive director of the Savannah Tree Foundation.
“It’s a long process,” he said. “We have a couple of work trucks and trailers, I have a truck and a trailer, and so we just do ‘all-hands-on-deck days’ where we all meet up at SeaPoint. We load the trailers and transfer them over to Bethesda.”
Alexander said they hope to complete the move by November, when planting season starts.
Bethesda Academy, a private boys’ school with a working farm and gardens, promises to be an ideal site for the new nursery. The Savannah Tree Foundation will have access to unlimited water for irrigation, and there’s room for office space on site. The foundation is building a greenhouse, a tree paddock to protect young trees from wildlife, and a covered potting station on the site. Part of the foundation’s mission is to educate Savannahians about tree care, so the new nursery space is meant to accommodate hands-on workshops.
The foundation has worked with thousands of volunteers over the years, from home gardeners looking to level up their skills to students and youth groups looking to earn volunteer hours. And although the new nursery isn't fully built out, Alexander's staff will put volunteers to work identifying and removing invasive species from the site.
“It’s a beautiful location,” Alexander said. “It’s easily accessible for people who want to get their hands dirty, want to give back to their community. So I would encourage folks to come out and see the site.”
Stephanie Castellano covers climate change and the environment in coastal Georgia. You can reach her at scastellano@usatodayco.com. This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: This is how you pack up 5,000 trees
