Scouts distributing 1000s of seedlings for Arbor Day

If you see thousands of young evergreen trees growing in the Northwest suburbs in the coming years, thank the Boy Scouts.

On Wednesday, area Scouts sorted through some 4,500 evergreen seedlings that will be distributed Friday to schools in Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54, including ones in Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village and Hanover Park.

The project coincides with the celebration of Arbor Day - nationally recognized as an observance that encourages tree planting and care - as well as marking the 100th anniversary of Boy Scouts.

Scouting representatives use the phrase "Generations Connection" to describe their partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and its commitment to service and environmental stewardship.

The local tree planting effort also has a ripple effect. For every tree purchased from Arbor Day Foundation officials, another will be planted at the newly created Centennial Forest, as the Boy Scouts aid in replanting the Flathead National Forest in Montana following recent fires.

"Boy Scouts have been involved in conservation and environmental causes since their very beginning, and this project is a natural extension of that," says Steve Taylor, executive director of the Northwest Suburban Boy Scout Council, based in Mount Prospect.

He points to Scouting's first "Chief Scout Citizen," former President Theodore Roosevelt, whose lasting legacy was starting the national parks system.

Local activities to commemorate Scouting's 100th anniversary are planned throughout the year, from individual village ceremonies, to a parade and pinewood derby at Arlington Park on July 4, to a 10-mile hike through Busse Woods in September.

However, the Arbor Day project really blossomed for troops in the Pathfinder District, which takes in troops in Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Hanover Park and Elk Grove Village.

Leaders figured the enduring symbol of a tree captured Scouting's positive message, with its ability to convey a living entity that spans generations, and conjures up images of a family tree.

"A tree is a symbol to commemorate past and future generations of Scouting," says volunteer Janice Spitz of Streamwood.

Tree planting ceremonies took place last weekend in Hanover Park, Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates, with village dignitaries and Scouts alike rolling up their sleeves to plant the seedlings.

Scouts will plant additional seedlings this summer at Camp Lakota in Woodstock and at Camp Napowan Adventure Base in Wild Rose, Wis.