Trees to be planted throughout the Magic City
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – On Wednesday, September 11, Birmingham Botanical Gardens will join more than 5,000 volunteers from the faith-based community, companies, colleges, universities, the city and civic organizations to clean up city parks, libraries and communities. The Gardens will provide 50 saplings to be planted across the Magic City. Additional saplings will be planted later in the fall.
In 1963, segregation laws made it illegal for Blacks and whites to gather in Birmingham’s public parks. Such laws were later repealed, making it possible for people of all races to publicly gather together without fear of arrest. This Day of Service is a part of the 50 Years Forward Empowerment Week, reminding the city’s citizens of that progress.
The day will conclude at Kelly Ingram Park at Fifth Avenue and Sixteenth Street North for an evening of entertainment and selections from some of Birmingham’s finest food trucks. Trinity Broadcasting Network will present Grammy award-winning gospel singers CeCe Winans and Donnie McClurkin, the Reverend Bernice King, actor Clifton Davis, Florida attorney Willie Gary and a host of other notable names.
The saplings, native to the original forest, have been grown from seeds collected by The Gardens from some of the oldest and largest trees in Birmingham. These local trees impart a unique character to our neighborhoods and parks, much as the architecture does. Blackjack oak, post oak and other select species from the black oak and white oak groups are not commercially available. Even if they were, the seed sources would not be known. In planting these particular tree species, we recognize their continuing value in Birmingham’s unique cultural landscape. These progency of ancient native trees are ecologically and historically the most important to Birmingham and are better adapted than any other species to growing long into the future.
Those interested in volunteering for this Day of Service can register by visiting www.handsonbirmingham.org.
