Staff photo / R. Michael Semple Jessica Shaffer, advanced scientist and lead of First Energy’s Green Team, carries stakes and tree protectors into an overgrown field in Southwest Park along Palmyra Road SW in Warren on Wednesday morning.

WARREN — Arriving at the city’s Southwest Park on Wednesday morning, 25 volunteers were ready to plant 500 native trees donated by First Energy as part of its Green Team initiative.

“We reached out to First Energy, requesting help with planting in Warren, and they provided all the trees, volunteers and help with the planting of the trees,” said Lydia Lynch of the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership.

Environmental scientist Jessica Shaffer, First Energy’s Green Team leader, discussed the initiative and demonstrated proper tree planting. First Energy supplied shovels and all supplies needed for the event.

“The Green Teams is a First Energy employee-led organization that provides sustainability within the company, as well as the community,” she said. “We participate in community events, such as these tree plantings as well as community pollinator gardens.

“There is a dual focus, internally, as a way to provide sustainability, and externally, as a way to give back to the community in an environmental sense.”

Shaffer demonstrated planting a tree using a stake, a slide tube over the tree to protect it from deer, and a zip tie to secure the slide tube to the stake.

“This is part of a larger goal to plant 25,000 trees in 2025,” she said. “We actually already hit that goal last week and plan to exceed that goal. We have a program called the Community Tree Program, where we primarily plant in parks and green spaces and other public spaces.”

The partnership selected the species from a list of native trees provided by First Energy. The trees were purchased from American Native Nursery in Maryland. The trees planted include black oak, white oak, black cherry, American beech, sweet birch and arrowwood.

Volunteers who participated were from the partnership, Youngstown State University’s College of Science and Technology, YSU Legacy Forests, the city of Warren and First Energy.

Fifteen First Energy employees came out to help with the planting. First Energy employees are offered opportunities to volunteer, and a website provides options.

“First Energy is nice enough to offer us this program where we can beautify the neighborhoods,” said Brad Roberts, of Niles, one of 15 First Energy employees to take part.

A volunteer with YSU’s Legacy Forests organization and YSU retiree, Catherine Cala, of Youngstown, provided support.

“The Legacy Forests program was founded in 2020, and we have planted more than 7,000 trees in and around the Mahoning Valley,” she said. On Nov. 13, we will be planting 1,750 trees in Mill Creek Metroparks, in Fordyce Park.

She added that “the tree planting initiative is a means to help sequester carbon dioxide, promote water conservation, reduce soil erosion, improve the quality of water and to provide wildlife habitats.”