Plant Your Roots: 1000 Trees for 1000 Years Event

This past Saturday the Florida Headwaters Foundation Inc., Cherrylake Landscaping Inc. and TOHO partnered with Weslyn Park residents to plant 320 Bald Cypress Trees (Taxodium distichum) around the west shore of the watershed off Cyrils Drive, one tree for each home in Weslyn Park. We at the Headwaters Foundation were happy to host Cherrylake in their initiative to plant thousands of trees around protected conservation areas in Florida that will be here for the next 1000 years.

Bald Cypress trees have a native range extending from Florida to as far north as New York. The trees we planted were about 3 feet high, but eventually they will grow to be up to 120 feet high and serve as an excellent home for wildlife like birds, squirrels, and insects. They are almost always found in wetlands, marshes and around ponds because their ability to grow quickly and tolerate moderate to severe flooding gives them an advantage over other trees and plants that cannot handle seasonal wet periods.

Volunteers eagerly took to the task and helped plant four groupings of trees along the water’s edge, all the while asking questions about the tree’s growing patterns and the land’s future. They were thrilled to learn about Cherrylake’s new landscaping consulting services starting on July 1st for Weslyn Park residents and the Foundation’s environmental education programs coming later this fall. 

We can hardly wait to come back in a few months and see how tall these trees have grown! Follow us on Instagram @flaheadwatersfoundation or Facebook to stay tuned for more events and updates!