Purdue News
Purdue News
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April 17, 1998
Operation Arborflight coming to Celery BogWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- At 9 a.m. Saturday, May 2, a chopper will bring Indiana State Forester Burnie Fischer to the Celery Bog off Lindberg Road, where he and Smokey Bear will plant a tree. Helicopters are carrying tree-planters to nine Indiana cities that day as part of Arborflight, a celebration of trees.The brainchild of Fort Wayne nursery owner and landscaper Mark Ringenberg, Arborflight combines efforts of Purdue University, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, environmental groups and Indiana businesses. PSI, a Cinergy company, and Northern Indiana Public Service Co. are supplying the helicopters. "I wanted to find a fun and exciting way to teach the benefits of trees from the ground up and to promote trees as an important renewable resource," said Ringenberg, president of the Hoosier chapter of Global Releaf, an organization dedicated to planting 20 million trees by the year 2000. The Celery Bog celebration combines Arborflight with activities coordinated by the local Sierra Club and Audubon Society. The program at the nature preserve will run from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. "We'll focus on teaching the public about wetlands and forested upland areas, explaining their importance in water quality, flood control and habitat preservation," said Marcia Daehler, chairwoman of the Wildcat Group of the Sierra Club. Three other Arborflight trees donated by a nursery will be planted later in the Greater Lafayette area, thanks to Purdue University urban forestry specialist Rita McKenzie. She coordinated the Celery Bog chopper operation with the help of Brian Tunis, West Lafayette beautification coordinator. "Urban trees can cut heating and cooling costs, store carbon, reduce pollution and improve the quality of life," McKenzie said. She and Purdue forestry Professor Harvey Holt developed a model to help predict urban tree survival and growth. During the course of their work, McKenzie found that vandalism to newly planted trees in urban parks dropped by 90 percent when community residents helped with the planting. CONTACT: McKenzie (765) 494-3625; e-mail, ritam@fnr.purdue.edu/
Writer: Rebecca J. Goetz (765) 494-0461; e-mail,
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