Earth Day Environmental Commitment Event Sees a Citizen Commitment to Tree Plantings

By whichever name you prefer: Earth, Lone Pine, or Tree Giveaway Day in Front Royal, Sunday, April 21, was a rousing success and then some! That is unless you got there much after 11 a.m. and were looking for one of those 450 native species trees being given away through a grant from the Department of Forestry. We’ll let Aces Committee supporting member Chris Rademacher, who was manning the tree distribution table when we arrived, explain:

“This was an awesome grant from the Department of Forestry. It was funded through their Virginia Trees for Clean Water Program. So, it was a $7,000 grant and we bought these trees and we’re giving them away to the community during our Front Royal Earth Day, Lone Pine Day Festival. And they’re all gone,” Rademacher observed shortly after 11 a.m. before we noted three lonely trees sitting somewhat obscured at some distance behind his table and over toward East Main Street.

Aces Committee member Chris Rademacher tells a citizen that available trees for giveaway are getting slim – you may have to take one helping advertise the ‘Native Tree Give-away’ table site. Below, Rademacher displays one of the final three trees available at 11:20 a.m. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

Wait, what — nearly 450 trees distributed to citizens attending the festival gone in just over an hour into the 10 a.m. event scheduled to run to 3 p.m. If we recall correctly, 250 trees were given away at last year’s event.

“We had a line of about 45 people waiting for trees at 10 a.m. It was pretty intense. And so we had this really nice flow throughout, I guess it’s only been an hour — And what time is it, 11:20, so about an hour and 20 minutes and all of our trees are gone except for three,” Rademacher said of the steady run on the grant-enabled tree give-away.

And while all trees appeared to have been claimed by about 11:30 a.m. there were still nearly four hours left for informational booth visiting, mingling with friends old or newly made, grabbing a snack at healthy food table displays or a food vendor booth, not to mention getting to know some of the Heavenly Heart Petting Zoo animals before the 3 p.m. final stop would be called.

Four perspectives of the Heavenly Hearts Petting Zoo and Animal Awareness site. In 3rd shot WayLynn the Guinea Pig wonders if any of that bagged food is coming its way. Marigold, the brown and white sheep surrounded by children in final shot, is blind, but loving the attention.

Of the Earth/Lone Pine Day event, we found this from an online search for Front Royal’s Earth Day event: “Whether you’ve been a part of previous events or are joining for the first time, kick off Spring with us and showcase your commitment to the environment! The event will connect you with diverse, nature-oriented conservation groups that showcase environmental stewardship at its best.”

So, in case you missed it, or just want to be reminded of all the fun you had by not missing it, enjoy this event photo run. And never forget, the earth we leave behind is a key portion of our generational legacy to all generations to come. Certainly something worth gathering to remember and recommit to annually.

Four of the environmentally themed informational tents set up in the Village Commons Park in Historic Downtown Front Royal, Va.

Two early-arriving citizens with their tree takes – don’t lose those on the way home, and plant them with care.

The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center display; and below some information on the instructional magic distributed at the American Gourd Society table.

A dinosaur-kid standoff; and below the plant lady wanted to make it perfectly clear that she was with this representative of the Stone Branch Center for the Arts located not far away on E. Main St. in downtown Front Royal.

And a final look around the Earth/Lone Pine Day scene in downtown Front Royal.