November 24, 2024

Employees from our Green Team in western Pennsylvania recently teamed with the Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) to plant nearly 100 native trees at the Venango Trail Conservation Area in Cranberry Township, establishing a natural barrier that reduces traffic noise and enhances the visual appeal of the area.

“The sycamores we are planting along this fence line are fast growers and will provide a nice buffer between the bordering Pennsylvania Turnpike and the trail,” said Dani Kramer, an ALT field coordinator. “The trees will grow huge and provide a living screen to shield the natural area from the highway and dampen the din of relentless traffic.”

Our volunteers helped ALT plant dozens of sycamores, red bud and spice bush saplings, also helping FirstEnergy inch closer to our milestone of 100,000 trees planted by employees across our six-state footprint since the effort began in 2020.

“When migratory birds find their way to this nice big clearing in the forest, there will be food here for them to eat,” said Jakob Radovic, Associate Forestry Technician, whose job involves controlling vegetation along power lines to help prevent tree-related power outages.

The native spice bush saplings that Jakob helped plant are adept at spreading through the understory and crowding out non-native plants such as invasive honeysuckle and barberry that overrun forest edges to create impenetrable thickets.

Making an impact

The ALT has only 12 employees, and it depends on outside hands to help enhance the 3,700 acres of protected green space it owns.

“We can’t do it on our own,” Dani said. “We are reliant on volunteers and stewards from the neighborhoods that border our properties, and we appreciate the work of FirstEnergy’s volunteers.”

Yasemin Wilcox-Kanell, Operational Technician Consultant, enjoys volunteering within the community where she lives and works.

“Giving back to the community is always a rewarding thing, and it is good for nature to have trees,” she said. “It’s a win-win situation!”

This year, employees are expected to plant more than 30,000 trees across FirstEnergy’s entire service area.

Trees play a vital role in stabilizing the environment by absorbing carbon, soaking up stormwater that can cause erosion and preserving streams and riverbanks, while simultaneously beautifying the landscape. They also provide food and cover wildlife needs to thrive.