The project is called Plant a Million Trees. Bundled in raincoats and hats, two dozen volunteers got their hands wet and dirty, planting 450 trees. They hope to restore this area that was devastated by last year's forest fires. Yankee Hill Fire Safety Council Board Member Walt Heimbecher told Action News, "I cannot even imagine what somebody is going through having lost everything and if we can put trees back in, something that's growing and alive, it feels really good."
Most of the volunteers were children and teens. "I think it's kind of cool because I'm helping the entire Butte County. It's pretty cool. It's a lot of responsibility but I think it's awesome," said 12-year old Bryce Corron.
The Butte County 4-H Club and Yankee Hill Fire Safe Council organized the event. Butte County 4-H member Miriam Dennis said, "We are hoping to do more than just this small area of planting trees. The goal for us is to plant as many trees as we can to help Laura Webber out with the million trees project she has going on."
Laura Webber is a 4-H Club member who hopes to plant one million trees nationwide, before she graduates from high school. Local volunteers say there is no better way to help fulfill that plan than by helping those who need it most. Concow resident Dot Morris expressed her appreciation. She told Action News, "Our little jewel, Concow Lake and the jewel that it really was up in the mountains. This reforestation effort is really going to help bring that back. Not necessarily for my generation, but for the next ones coming on afterwards."
The 4-H Club has already planted more than 70,000 trees, nationwide.
