HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Rotary Club met Monday, June 15, for its virtual meeting using Zoom. Nick Hallowell was inducted as a new member of the club on Monday. Hallowell is the new branch manager at Bangor Savings Bank, and is a fellow Husson graduate of Cameron Clark, Hallowell’s member sponsor.
Rotarian Nancy Ketch hosted Angie Wotton of the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District as the guest speaker. Wotton spoke about the new Project Canopy being developed in downtown Houlton.
Several residents noticed many of the trees in the downtown area are dying or being cut down. Wotton secured a grant from the Maine Forest Service for Planning and Education. She is looking for 20 volunteers to attend a 2.5 hour training on July 8 given by the Maine Forest Service.
During this training, attendees will learn about different tree species, how to measure trees using a clinometer, and how to conduct survey sampling. Once volunteers attend the training, they will be assigned a section of downtown Houlton and will be expected to complete their survey of the street trees within six weeks. Eventually, Wotton would like to develop a tree committee to use as a guide for tree planting and maintenance in the downtown area.
Wotton informed the club of the many benefits of trees and tree canopies. She pointed out that trees produce oxygen, and in one season alone, a mature tree can produce enough oxygen to allow ten people to breathe. Wotton used the example of Monument Park to show the importance and beauty of shade trees in the Houlton downtown area.
For those interested in volunteering for the Downtown Canopy Project, Wotton can be contacted via email at angela.wotton@me.nadcnet.net or by phone at 254-4126.
