The public is invited to participate in the Ballou Park Reforestation Project that will include the planting of native trees in the park. The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, April 19, in the park area across from Ballou Park Shopping Center and McDonald’s.
An 8-to-10-foot tree will be planted every 15 minutes during the ceremony. The trees include red oak, sweet bay magnolia, black gum and service berry species.
A $17,000 Clean Water grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry will pay for the planting of the trees in the park, which has lost nearly 100 trees from natural disasters or natural causes since 2018.
Besides their aesthetic appeal, trees play a vital role in the environment. They provide shade that is important in an urban setting, as well as a canopy cover that disrupts raindrops during storms, controlling erosion. They also filter pollutants from the air and water and support different types of wildlife, providing nesting for birds and food for caterpillars, squirrels and other creatures.
The project partners include the Virginia Department of Forestry, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Danville Parks and Recreation, Danville Public Works, and the Dan River Basin Association.