Airmen encourage ‘green’ Christmas

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Elizabeth De Jesus
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. (AFPN) --  There is a Christmas story told about a little evergreen that wanted to grow up and be a beautiful Christmas tree.

Airmen here have flipped the story by starting a program to take decorated holiday trees and replant them so they can be big, strong evergreens.

Airmen from the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron’s environmental flight have invited base organizations to purchase live Christmas trees for their squadron parties. After the parties, the trees will be planted in an area on base known as the “greenway.”

The greenway divides the industrial side of the base from the residential and commercial side. Planting trees here would provide separation between these two areas, officials said.

“We want to have a separation so that (the trees are) not right up against the industrial shops,” said Greg Johnson, 28th CES environmental planning chief. “We want to have (the greenway) as a recreational area with nice ponds, lakes and a picnic area.”

Airmen from the squadron actually started this project in December 2002 by planting the live Christmas tree used at their squadron holiday party in the greenway.

“If we can get several organizations doing this, pretty soon (we will) have that area populated with trees,” Johnson said. “The more trees we put in that area, the better.”

Planting trees in this area should also attract wildlife. Birds, especially small songbirds such as finches and sparrows, prefer nesting in spruce trees because of their tight configuration.