Written By
The annual Earth Day Celebration and Volunteer Tree Planting Program at Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, usually conjures up images of Spring, with birds singing and warm temperatures having finally arrived after a cold winter season. But for Pennsylvania residents, they know that the weather in April can quickly change from one extreme to the next and that is exactly what 37 hardy volunteers experienced at the 2025 version of the fourth-annual event on Saturday April 12th. With only rain predicted in the forecast, participants were greeted to a surprise winter wonderland when they arose that morning. Refuge staff arrived at the refuge before the program to check that the ground had not frozen and was still suitable for planting, unsure of how many volunteers would attend with the cold temperature, steadily falling snow, and the slippery conditions on the surrounding roads. But as a pleasant surprise, slowly but surely and one after another, volunteers began to arrive in the refuge parking lot. First-time refuge volunteer Tee Summers, when asked why she decided to come out in such challenging conditions, stated that she had “made a commitment and I’m sticking to it.” That sentiment was shared by many of the participants, with excitement for the morning’s plantings and a sense of stewardship in celebration of the upcoming Earth Day both motivating factors regardless of the winter-like weather. The Friends of Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge, a non-profit organization that supports the refuge and it's programming, had procured a gracious donation of fresh pastries from a local bakery to ensure that volunteers had plenty of energy for the planting ahead.
As the participants enjoyed their pre-planting pastries, refuge staff shared information on the history of the annual event, which has been held each of the last four years in partnership with the Monroe County Conservation District, Penn State Extension Office’s Master Watershed Stewards, and the Brodhead Chapter of Trout Unlimited. The volunteers then headed outside into the cold and snow to pick out two to three trees and shrubs to plant, before heading down to the planting area located in the riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian corridor alongside the Cherry Creek. Once there, Monroe County Conservation District Watershed and Resource Conservation Specialist Charles Kershaw demonstrated to all participants how deep to dig each hole, how to properly plant each tree and shrub, and lastly, the placement of a protective shelter around each one. After successfully planting her first trees, volunteer Tee Summers shared that “planting my very first trees was the highlight of today’s event. I am filled with joy and gratitude to have contributed in this way.”
While many of the volunteers were taking part in this event for the first time, others have come back every year to participate. David Hooker and his growing family have planted trees and shrubs at the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge every April for the last four years. David began at first as an employee of the Monroe County Conservation District and the co-founder of the now annual event. Now as a refuge volunteer, he was eager to return to take stock of the growth of the several hundred trees that he had helped plant over the previous three years. The family tradition took a big step this year, with son Ben having now grown big and strong enough to able to plant his own tree.
The volunteers made quick work of planting over seventy native trees and shrubs, which will help improve the health of the Cherry Creek by decreasing erosion and sedimentation, providing shade that will prevent the water temperature from rising too much, stabilizing the streambank, and providing shelter and food for wildlife. A discussion was had with all participants on the importance of using plants native to Pennsylvania and their value to native wildlife. For volunteer Franciska Flamm, her connection to the refuge was born out of a partnership with her son's scouting troop and it was important to take part in the day’s activities with her family so that they could give back to nature. She shared that it was inspiring to “see everyone working together for a better future for the wildlife refuge…and that if everyone would help just a little, our environment and nature would appreciate and give back in the form of beautiful plants and animals.”
After posing for a group picture and admiring the wonderful work they had accomplished that morning, the volunteers headed back to the refuge headquarters to enjoy a pizza lunch provided by the Friends of Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge and make connections with their fellow volunteers. Volunteer Adrian Meza, who had participated in programs at the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge before, had brought several of his coworkers to the event. While several of them had not worked together before, the event offered an opportunity to get to know each other better through the sharing of common goal and interest in conservation.
By the time lunch had finished, the snow was already beginning to quickly melt as Spring snowfalls in Pennsylvania often do. But the memory of such a unique day, will hopefully last in the minds of the volunteers for as long as the trees and shrubs stand alongside the Cherry Creek. As the event was coming to a close, the spirit of Earth Day and giving back to nature was continuing to grow. Volunteer Hunter Zeman, who had come to the event with his mother Staci and sister Willow, had decided to do his upcoming Eagle Scout project at the refuge in the form of the construction of nesting boxes for owls. While discussing the specifics of the project with refuge staff, Hunter shared a sentiment that fit perfectly with the day’s theme of building and maintaining a connection to nature because “just like we depend on the environment, the environment depends on us.”
The annual Earth Day Celebration and Volunteer Tree Planting event will be held again at the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in April of 2026.
