Taking the Long View of Our Backyard

February 15, 2013 by Taylor Studios in Professional & Industry Tips

I’ve never gotten very excited about Earth Day, which is strange, because I am a huge fan of the wonderful planet we depend upon for our every breath. My main gripe is that all those neighborhood clean ups and activism shouldn’t be limited to only one day. If you want to “save the Earth”, it’s a daily commitment, not an opportunity to look good for the cameras. But now that I’ve moaned a little, I would like to say that I have a plan for this Earth Day.

You may remember that our fabrication department moved into a former Walmart at the edge of Rantoul almost four years ago. We still have plans for the parking lot there, beautiful plans, but it costs a lot of money to remove thousands of square feet of asphalt. In the meanwhile, we have the backside of the building to play with.

Takes your breath away, I know; believe me, I know. And odds are, the topsoil is probably only six inches thick, covering whatever they dug out to build the Walmart 20 years ago. But think of the potential! I’m not thinking of a garden; that won’t work in an unprotected northern exposure with no way to keep vandals out. Trees, though, that’s what I’m saying. We could start a windbreak with a few white pines, maybe a black or red pine. Plant a couple maple hybrids, a red oak. When would we put this dream in motion?

Earth Day 2013. We’ve even got a landscape architect on staff, Randy Rice in Exhibit Design. We are set! Now we just need to hold a bake sale to raise some tree money. Any recommendations on tree species, dear reader?