Roanoke Park help needed Saturday, April 27

The folks working on Roanoke Park have  received 150 native trees and shrub seedlings free from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

And they’ve put out a desperate plea for help.

They say 100 of them can wait, but 50 must be planted immediately. They’re coming out of dormancy more so than the others.

“These are very small bare root seedlings that do not require a large hole. These seeding and planting efforts are desperately needed to restore the damage done to the park’s forests by invasive shrub honeysuckle. The honeysuckle has been preventing the next generation of trees and shrubs from getting started. Our seeding and planting will bring back the beautifully diverse native forest that Roanoke Park deserves,” the Roanoke Park Conservancy says.

• Meet Brett Shoffner at 10:00 a.m. at the Westport-Roanoke Community Center to join the crew, or find him in the woods if you’re coming later. The morning rain should be tapering off. Planting locations have been mapped out and yellow flags stuck in the ground.

• Take a shovel with you if possible

• Let Brett know if you can bring a wheelbarrow to move mulch, and a truck would be awesome.