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Narberth Shade Tree Commission reviews planting ‘lessons learned,’ urges earlier volunteer recruitment
Summary
Members debriefed recent plantings after recruiting and logistics problems, confirmed the borough planted 64 trees this year (26 spring, 38 fall), and flagged an early payment requirement from PHS they say must be confirmed before ordering next season.
S1 opened the meeting’s main discussion with a review of recent volunteer plantings and logistics, saying the commission planted 26 trees in the spring and 38 in the fall — "64 trees this year," she said, calling the total "a lot."
The commission’s debrief centered on three problems: volunteer shortages on planting day, species-size mismatches that made planting labor-intensive, and an administrative breakdown on vendor payment and form completion. S3 said PHS (the plant vendor) now requires earlier payment and site information and reported that an outstanding payment "had been due March 31," urging the commission to check exact deadlines before placing future orders.
Members agreed to change outreach and operations for future plantings. S2 and S3 recommended earlier volunteer recruitment — beginning in August — and using Instagram, local Facebook groups (Norbrook Tree Tenders, Norbrook Community, Willow Marion Community Network, Lower Merion Community Network) and the borough "burrowblast" to expand the volunteer pool beyond the usual lists. S3 suggested assigning volunteers flexibly (give them an initial task but offer additional duties when finished) to avoid idle capacity or early departures.
On training and on-site procedure, S1 said she had not fully briefed volunteers: "I didn't tell them how to plant trees," and members proposed using a short demonstration tree, a one-page checklist, or an embedded video link in confirmation emails so first‑time volunteers know basic planting steps (root flare, hole size, gator bag use).
The commission also discussed post-planting care. S3 proposed a small cohort of volunteers focused on tree‑pit tending (mulch, guard repair, minor pruning) to boost survival rates; members debated whether to ask owners to assume more maintenance or to run a volunteer tending program. The group agreed that small, regular maintenance steps could extend tree survival far beyond the initial planting.
On budget and vendor payments, S1 said she had asked borough staff for an additional $2,000 in the commission budget this year to cover higher costs; members pledged to monitor invoice routing so municipal contacts (Jeff or Maggie, as discussed in the meeting) receive vendor invoices on time.
Next steps: members will confirm PHS payment and site-mapping deadlines, start recruitment earlier next season, add a simple planting refresher to confirmation emails, and explore a pilot tree‑pit tending program.
