Trees Forever led a tree-planting during last year's EcoFest. The group has events planned every day in the coming week as part of an "Earth Week Blitz."

Trees Forever led a tree-planting during last year’s EcoFest. The group has events planned every day in the coming week as part of an “Earth Week Blitz.” (photo/Cindy Hadish)

Iowa BIG students will play a big role during a tree-planting on Arbor Day.

The students will plant 24 bare root fruit trees this Friday, April 24, 2015, at Noelridge Park.

Friday’s event is one of many to celebrate Earth Week, with Trees Forever scheduling daily activities to make it a true “Earth Week Blitz.”

Read more from Trees Forever about all of the activities:

CEDAR RAPIDS  — Nature-lovers in the Cedar Rapids area can participate in a flurry of activities to benefit the environment during this month’s Earth Week Blitz.

“We want to make it easy for everyone to show their concern for the Earth,” said Dustin Hinrichs, Trees Forever’s Field Coordinator, who is organizing events in the Corridor. “Earth Week Blitz will demonstrate practices we can all continue, even after the week has ended.”

To kick off the week, Hinrichs, along with Dr. David Benson, Superintendent of Schools, and George Kanz of Shive-Hattery, will highlight innovative sustainable landscaping at the Cedar Rapids School District headquarters. During other activities, Trees Forever staff will facilitate tree plantings and guide volunteers in cleaning the trails around Cedar Lake.

Shannon Ramsay, Founding President and CEO of Trees Forever, noted that volunteer participation is the cornerstone of the nonprofit’s grassroots philosophy. “Iowans depend on clean water and air, productive agricultural soils and thriving woodlands and other wildlife habitat to fully enjoy our state’s quality of life,” she said. “Trees Forever works on all of these issues with our volunteers throughout the year, truly making every day Earth Day.”

The full Earth Week Blitz schedule of events, all of which are free and open to the public, in partnership with Transamerica, can be found at: www.treesforever.org/events

Following is a list of the week’s activities in the Corridor:

– Walk & Learn: 4 p.m. Monday, April 20, 2015, at the Educational Leadership and Support Center, 2500 Edgewood Rd. NW. Meet in the foyer to start the one-hour tour, with information about tree preservation and conservation, stormwater management, pollinator habitat and more.

– Fruit tree planting: 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 21, at Lowe Park, 4500 N. 10th St., Marion. A dozen fruit trees will be planted, mulched, and fenced, in partnership with the City of Marion, Linn County Master Gardeners, and Blue Zones Project in Marion.

– Tree planting at Noelridge Park, 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 22, 4900 Council St. NE. Transamerica volunteers, Harding Middle School students, TreeKeepers and other volunteeers will plant 50-60 large shade trees. Rain date is Friday, April 24.

– Clean up Cedar Lake, 2 p.m. Thursday, April 23, at Cedar Lake Trail/McLoud Run, 855 Shaver Rd. NE. Volunteers, along with the City of Cedar Rapids, Friends of Cedar Lake, and the Sag Wagon, are invited to walk the trails and pick up litter. Trash bags will be provided, but please bring your own work gloves. Volunteers should park on the street or in the parking lots at the Sag Wagon and Cedar Lake Park (on Shaver Road NE, next to the lake.)

– Fruit tree planting, 9 a.m. Friday, April 24, at Noelridge Park, 4900 Council St. NE. Volunteers, in partnership with the City of Cedar Rapids, Hughes Nursery, and Linn County Master Gardeners, will plant about 30 new fruit trees during a youth-led project by students with the Iowa BIG program.

– EcoFest, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at the NewBo City Market, 1100 Third St. SE. Trees Forever will have a booth with bags of compost, compliments of the Cedar Rapids/ Linn County Solid Waste Agency, and will have a ceremonial tree planting at 11 a.m. at Bottleworks Park. More details are at: www. ecofestcr.org

For more information on the Earth Week Blitz, contact Dustin Hinrichs at dhinrichs@treesforever.org or (319)440-7529.

Trees Forever is a nonprofit organization nationally headquartered in Marion, IA that is dedicated to planting trees, encouraging volunteer and youth involvement and environmental stewardship. For over 25 years, we’ve been planting a better tomorrow. For more information visit www.treesforever.org or call 800-369-1269.