LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Whether you're enjoying the fresh air on a stroll through the park or lounging in the shade away from the sun, you may not even think about the trees that are working for you and how they do so much more.
It's the 8th annual Tree Week, a way to help take care of the environment as well as appreciate the essentials that nature gives us.
"They help mediate stormwater. They keep soil in place, reduce erosion, they cool our cities, they increase our mental health and our ability to deal with stress," said Heather Wilson, section manager for Urban Community Forestry.
Wilson, who has been with Lexington's Urban Community Forestry since 2016, also adds that trees provide economic benefits.
"The ability for cities to have a higher economic value is increased with tree canopy. People will spend more time shopping where there are more trees," Wilson said.
Over the next two months at Jacobson Park, an art installation intends to make trees stand out. Dressed for the season, these trunks are wrapped in colorful fabric.
Each tree has its own unique theme – like one celebrating Lexington 250. However, these attention-grabbing sweaters do serve a purpose.
"By putting in tree sweaters on each tree, it would draw attention to the loblolly pine tree forest. Bring people over to read the interpretive signs that we created to talk about the habitat the forest created," said Katie Lindeman, president of Friends of Jacobson Park.
It took over 35 volunteers from the nonprofit called Friends of Jacobson Park to create these sweaters.
Despite their cozy looks, Lindeman says this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for one mistake.
"We call it Lexington's greatest mistake because it was originally here to be a temporary plant nursery for LFUCG (Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government). They were supposed to dig these trees up and place them in other parts in the city. But loblolly pines grew so fast that they couldn't transplant," Lindeman said.
Because of that error, this forest is here for all to enjoy and has natural benefits as well.
"We have to have clean water. We have to have clear air that the trees bring to continue as a human species," Lindeman said.
It took nine months to knit the sweaters that draw our attention to the important job that trees do for our community.
