By Staff
To the editor:
I have never seen people work so hard or accomplish as much as they did on Saturday, Feb. 22. One hundred and two people gathered in front of Brewton Middle School to plant the BMS arboretum. Considering the torrential rains we experienced Friday, we had decided that only lightning could prevent us from accomplishing our planned task - planting more than 220 trees, 38 white crepe myrtles and 38 loropetalum bushes in the front yards of Brewton Middle School.
The 53 fifth graders and 49 parents, grandparents, siblings and friends who appeared by 8 a.m. were prepared for four hours of "mud wrestling," but they were determined to plant - no matter what! Much to our pleasure, the weather was sunny, breezy and rather mild. Adults and students alike worked at a fevered pitch and the project was completed in an hour and a half. I wish I had videotaped everyone working, because it truly is hard to believe that such an ambitious project could be completed in so short a time.
Instead of leaving hours earlier than planned, the 102 converged on the other BMS gardens, mulching the native tree bed and entrance beds, trimming Asiatic jasmine and cleaning out the jungle garden. Everyone was gone by 11 a.m., leaving BMS looking better than ever!
A huge thank you goes to the following for making our BMS Foresters' project a success: Doug Shelburne at Smurfit-Stone for donating longleaf and loblolly pines, shumard and cherry bark oaks, white ash and sweetgum trees; Madeline Hildreth at the Alabama Forestry Association for donating green ash trees; Anne Rilling for spearheading our project with her forestry expertise and organized skills; Frank Nalty for augering more than 200 holes for the trees; Doug Worthington at The Garden Spot for delivering the crepe myrtles and loropetalums; the BMS fifth grade families for donating the crepes, loropetalums and refreshments; and finally, the 102 who donated their time and contributed sweat equity.
The community pride and unity displayed by all those involved in this project were indeed heartwarming. I wish all Brewton could have witnessed it! Next time, we'll be sure to bring the video camera.
Mary Ellen Byron
Brewton Middle School
Fifth Grade Science Teacher