Westmoreland Land Trust recently hosted a two-day tree planting event on October 28th and 29th at St. Xavier Nature Preserve in Latrobe, bringing together 40 Greater Latrobe High School Environmental Science Capstone students and eight local FirstEnergy employee volunteers. Participants planted native trees such as red maples, yellow birch, ironwoods, redbuds, blackgums, sycamores, chestnut oaks, and red oaks provided by FirstEnergy, gaining hands-on conservation experience while helping restore forest habitat, improve biodiversity, and strengthen the preserve’s ecological health. DCNR Forbes State Forest provided assistance in the field.
This planting builds on earlier efforts with community members over the years and Seton Hill University in September and is part of a larger, multiyear initiative to establish approximately 4,000 trees at St. Xavier Nature Preserve. Following the planting of 2,380 trees in 2022, the effort will reach a 4,000-tree milestone this November, when Friendship Farms of Latrobe plants another 1,300 trees. The November project is funded by the PA Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, in part through a grant to DCNR from the National Fish and Wildlife Service. Together, these efforts represent a significant investment in restoring native habitat and creating a healthier, more resilient forest for generations to come.
