Dedication of Newest Children and Elders Forest Saturday

The newest installment of the Children & Elders Forest project - Prairie Grove - will be dedicated at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Illinois State University's Horticulture Center on Raab Road in Normal.

For three years, the Children and Elders Forest has planted more than 350 trees in four groves, each sponsored by a team consisting of youth and elders.  The program was created to encourage intergenerational sponsorship to create a personal memorial as a gift to the community for many generations to come. 

There will be 29 trees planted, 27 with sponsors and two still to be sponsored.  During a brief ceremony, youth-and-elder sponsors will tag their trees and spread mulch around them.  Horticulture Director Jessica Chambers will offer brief comments as will Children & Elders Forest coordinator Joe Grabill and Department of Agriculture Chair Robert Rhykerd.

There will be a color guard present and group singing of "America the Beautiful."

Jessica Chambers design the Children and Elders Forest landscape, which features bur oak, kentucky coffeetree, swamp white oak, sugar maple, black alder, black tupelo, northern catalpa, bald cypress, river birch and sweet gum.