Utah State University Extension Master Gardeners directed approximately 125 volunteers and assisted in planting more than 500 native shrubs and trees at various sites through Emigration Canyon on Saturday, Sept. 21. Another 500 will be planted at the site in the near future.
 
The volunteer planting effort was part of a larger-scale project to clean up and re-vegetate portions of Salt Lake’s Emigration Canyon. A recent grant to Emigration Township from Salt Lake County funded the project. The coordinating efforts were spearheaded by the Salt Lake County’s Office of Township Services.
 
Early in the planning process, USU Extension horticulture agents JayDee Gunnell and Jerry Goodspeed were invited to assist with the project. They consulted with county officials and project leaders on the selection of native species that would perform the best in Emigration Canyon to mitigate soil erosion. Because of research performed on native plant species at the USU Botanical Center in Kaysville, more than 1,000 plants consisting of seven different native species of trees and shrubs were selected and grown specifically for the Emigration Canyon planting project.
 
“Our goal at the USU Botanical Center is to promote the wise use of natural resources, including our native plants,” Goodspeed said. “We were pleased to be invited to participate in such a large-scale, rewarding project that will have such impact. Salt Lake County has been a great partner to work with.”
 

By: Julene Reese - Sept. 27, 2013