Reading Program To Take Root ‘Read For Trees’ Will Help Green Up City With New Plantings

Thu., March 4, 1999

Amy Scribner Staff writer

Read a book and help Spokane’s urban forest.

That’s the idea behind the upcoming “Read for Trees” program, which encourages kids to read more and culminates in several tree-planting ceremonies on Arbor Day, April 30.

The program is sponsored by Spokane Public Library and the city Parks and Recreation Department.

“It’s not only encouraging kids to read,” said library spokeswoman Dolly Richendrfer. “We want to impress them with the importance of trees to our environment.”

Kids who participate get a paper leaf for every 15 minutes they read between March 15 and April 16. The leaves will create colorful “trees” in city libraries.

Then, on April 17, kids can help plant real trees at six city parks: Underhill, Comstock, Riverfront, Pacific, Shadle and Minnehaha.

The program helps a Spokane Parks and Recreation Foundation effort to replace 5,000 street and park trees lost in the November 1996 ice storm.

“That’s a legacy the kids can help continue,” said city parks spokeswoman Marion Severud. “They can become stewards of our trees.”

In addition, city horticulturist Jim Flott will read stories about trees.

The storytimes are all at 10:30 a.m. unless otherwise noted: March 15, Downtown Library.

March 17, Shadle Branch Library.

March 25, Hillyard Branch Library.

March 30, Downtown Library.

March 31, South Hill Branch Library.

April 2, East Side Branch Library.

April 7, 10:45 a.m., Downtown Library.

April 12, Indian Trail Branch Library.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.