Clean-up, planting and beautification projects

PATEROS – Another successful Arbor Day observance - this one the most ambitious with five days of clean-up, planting and beautification projects - is in the books as the city concluded Earth & Arbor Day with an afternoon capstone event in Pateros Memorial Park last Friday afternoon, April 26.

Pateros Mayor Carlene Anders summarized some of the Community Roots activities that led up to Friday’s finale, read the official Arbor Day Proclamation, and introduced the just-arrived 10 members of the eighth and final AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps team that will work on post-wildfire restoration projects in and around Pateros

Arbor Day was founded in 1872 in Nebraska with the planting of more than a million trees. So began a worldwide observance of the environmental benefits of trees and a participation by Pateros that has the city recognized as one of the state’s 90 Tree Cities.

Pateros High School seniors Jahaira and Alondra Hernandez explained their week-long Earth Day Senior Project called Community Roots that included community clean-up, beautification with floral and tree plantings, and work at Alta Lake State Park with the Pateros sixth grade Outdoor Education class and other volunteers. Between Monday, April 22, and Thursday, April 25, volunteers picked up garbage around the city, planted flowers around downtown spaces like the Pateros Library, did weeding and trail work at Alta Lake State Park, and planted trees at the Pateros tennis courts.

Groups that participated in Friday’s Arbor Day wrap-up included the Valley Venturers 4H members who brought some of their animals for a petting zoo. One of those was Brumby, a five-year-old horse that once ran wild on the Colville Indian Reservation. Brumby, owned and broke to ride by Brewster resident Levi Brotherton, is now a domesticated working horse and is used by young entrants in the Caribou Trail Junior Rodeo Association.

Other exhibitors included the Pateros Library, Brewster Boys and Girls Club, Okanogan County Conservation District, Pateros FFA, and Avina’s Garden from Chelan.