Many thanks to all of the fabulous volunteers who joined in making the Nov. 11 tree planting a huge success! Non-profit organizers with DCNP and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful hoped at best to get 60 volunteers on the cold, wet Saturday morning, and were blown away when 144 volunteers signed in!

The group worked from 9:00 a.m. until past 2:00 p.m. and covered a lot of ground -- literally -- planting and mulching more than 150 small saplings and 55 large (over 8 feet high) trees. Volunteers from all area neighborhoods and every age group tromped through the mud, carried tree pots, moved mulch, dug holes, cheered each other on, and pitched in to the best of their abilities. A number of volunteers signed up as members to support the park and got green park-logo t-shirts.

"The overwhelming community spirit is really exciting," said Deb Ellman Watson, Daubenspeck Community Nature Park board president. "Despite the cold, it was a blast, and everyone who came got a sense of satisfaction of having improved the neighborhood, and the world, by at least one tree."

Special thanks to the many parents who brought their kids, and the youth groups who volunteered -- Brebeuf's Conservation Club, North Central's Habitat for Humanity club, Westlane Elementary's staff/PTA and students, the girl scout troop volunteered by NWF's Karen Warrington, and others. If you know of students who signed in that day and who want documentation for community service credit, please have them contact us at DaubPark@hotmail.com

Additional thanks to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful for all their stuff and expertise, and to the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township for their cooperation and support.

Daubenspeck Community Nature Park is a 501-c-3 non-profit charitable organization dedicated to creating and maintaining a native greenspace where the community and nature can enhance each other.

Check out the photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/daubpark/!