Boone County volunteers prepare to get their hands dirty at Reforest NKY 2016

More than 2,200 volunteers have planted 33 acres of trees over the past nine years in an effort to restore Northern Kentucky’s woodlands. Reforest NKY will travel to England-Idlewild Park in Boone County April 2 to continue its effort in expanding Kentucky’s landscape.

The volunteer-based reforestation event is headed by the Northern Kentucky Urban and Community Forestry Council (NKUCFC) and relies on help from local organizations and commissions to keep going.

Reforest partnered with The Boone Conservancy, Boone County Parks, Boone County Arboretum, Boone County Urban Forest Commission and Newport Aquarium for this year’s event, says Tara Sturgill, Reforest NKY secretary and public relations subcommittee chair.

Volunteers who attend will break into groups of 10 people with an accompanying Reforest leader, who will demonstrate proper planting technique and answer relevant questions from the group. But the event is more than just about planting trees.

Reforest is also about education and outreach. Reforest wants to educate the community on how planting trees provides benefits not only the environment but our quality of life. A focus is also placed on why trees are planted and the importance of planting a tree in the right place.

“I’m really proud of the work we do,” Sturgill says. “Even if you plant one tree, that tree will make a difference.”

Do Good:

• Register as a volunteer for Reforest NKY 2016, which is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-12:30p.m. April 2 at England-Idlewild Park, 5550 Idlewild Road, Burlington, Ky.

• Watch a video from the Reforest NKY 2014 event, sponsored by Mad Tree Brewery.

• For more information on the event and how you can help, contact Tara Sturgill at 859-409-0791 or [email protected].