Roselle will plant 88 trees by October

The village of Roselle is entering the third year of its tree planting program, which comes at a time when officials say such initiatives have become more important for the environment.

The village board voted Monday to continue its 2018 Parkway Tree Planting Project, which aims to plant at least 2,500 trees in unused parkway spaces by 2045. It provides a road map for the village that includes where to plant parkway trees, when to plant them and which trees are best suited for each planting site.

The Fields on Caton Farm, a Crest Hill-based garden center and tree restoration business, was awarded a $30,000 contract to plant 88 trees by late October. There are 15 tree species in total.

A map from the 2018 plan showed the trees for this year will be likely planted around Spring Hill Elementary School.

Mayor David Pileski said this is one of many steps the village has taken to be more responsible about the environment. "We're taking a scientific approach in all of this that will make things better," Pileski said.

Roselle's program approval came the same day as the release of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that says some of the devastating effects of climate change are irreversible for our lifetimes, if not for hundreds of years due to human activity. It says the worst can still be prevented if carbon emissions are reduced.

Pileski said Roselle is trying to do its part to help the environment, with the tree planting program and the push to encourage solar energy use.

"The report confirms things we've known for a long time," he said. "Doing things like replacing trees is a small step we can take to do our part."

The planting project came to fruition after the emerald ash borers infestation cost Roselle 1,100 ash trees.

Trees were meant to be planted last year but put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the locations were chosen by the village this year, it will give residents a chance to choose to plant the trees themselves next year. The Shared Cost Tree Planting Program is part of the Parkway Tree Planting Project, and it allows residents to plant trees on their property with 50% of the costs reimbursed by the village.