~ Mesa, AZ- As February kicks off, the city of Mesa is gearing up for Love My Park Month. This annual event encourages residents to give back to their community by participating in various activities that help beautify and improve the city's parks. One of the main initiatives this year is a tree planting event at Sherwood Park on Saturday, Feb. 22.

The city is calling on volunteers to join Mesas Tree Stewards and their neighbors in planting up to 100 trees at Sherwood Park, located at 1453 S. Horne. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., and all are welcome to participate.

The goal of this tree planting event is not only to beautify the park but also to expand the tree canopy cover in Mesa. By adding desert-adapted and desert-native shade trees, the city hopes to provide benefits such as shade and cooler communities for its residents.

According to Scott Bouchie, Mesa Energy and Sustainability Director, "The tree planting will create more shade for people walking in Sherwood Park and more shade near the playgrounds." He also notes that mature trees at Sherwood will serve a dual purpose as a stormwater retention basin and help reduce the risk of flooding during storms.

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In addition to these practical benefits, the tree planting event also serves as a learning program for Mesas Tree Stewards and other volunteers from across the valley. They will have the opportunity to collaborate with Parks and Recreation staff in creating tree planting maps and organizing future events.

Sherwood Park currently has a tree canopy cover of only 4%, while the surrounding neighborhood has an 8% canopy cover. This event is part of Mesas Trees Are Cool Initiative, which was launched in 2023 with a goal of planting one million trees by 2050 to achieve a 15% canopy cover goal citywide.

Aside from the tree planting, the event will also feature a sneak peek of M.O.R.E. (Mesa Outdoor Recreation Experience), the new mobile nature unit of the Mesa Parks and Recreation team. M.O.R.E. aims to educate the community about the unique flora, fauna, and recreation opportunities that the desert has to offer. Mesa Parks and Recreation will use its webpages and social media platforms to promote upcoming M.O.R.E. activities.

For those interested in volunteering for this event, more information can be found on the Arizona Sustainability Alliance's website, along with a link to sign up.

Love My Park Month in Mesa is an excellent opportunity for residents to show their appreciation for their local parks. Each week in February will have a different theme, including Playgrounds Week (Feb. 2-8), Bikes Week (Feb. 9-15), Nature Week (Feb. 16-22), and Dog Parks Week (Feb. 23-28).

To learn more about Mesa Parks and Recreation and their upcoming events, visit their website or follow them on social media. Let's all come together this month to show some love for our parks!

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