July 16 Tree Planting – Community Connection Day!

Friday, July 16th dawned bright and sunny. Seven beautiful trees lined the east wall of the Youth Center, standing tall, in the sunshine awaiting planting; crabapple, maple, ash, poplar and hackberry, all sponsored to honor loved ones and beautify our park. Despite the rising heat of the day, forty-three willing volunteers gathered in a circle at the Questa Youth Center; seventeen adults and twenty-six youth “checking-in” together before getting to work. The mission of this third Community Connection Day was to plant these trees together. And plant them we did, with all hands on deck! This brings the number of trees planted in the park this year up to fourteen. Special thanks to Benny Gallegos, Richard Holmes, Rachel Kuc, Maria Gonzales and Chris Coté for inclusive youth mentorship during the tree planting process. Thank you also to Cristina Masoliver who played her “Los Flamencos” puppet show to conclude our morning work and to Questa Economic Development Fund for sponsoring the delicious lunch provided by Wendy Medina and Alex Romero of Evelyn’s Treats.

Egypt Carrying the Maple tree to its new home in the park, with Lupe in the background ready to help, photo by Claire Coté

Group planting Maple tree near the park swings for future shade, photo by Claire Coté

Sunshine Wood of Southern Colorado, helping to the plant the Crabapple tree sponsored by their family for her late daughter Heather Marie Fenstermacher -Taylor, photo by Maria Gonzalez

Community Connection Days are intergenerational days of community service and celebration, taking place in and around Questa, May through October, 2021 on the third Friday of the month. This consistent coming together, showing up for each other and our community is part of ongoing, Creative Placemaking efforts in our area and is made possible by collaborators: Vida del Norte, LEAP, Localogy, Taos Behavioral Health Questa SUCCESS Center, Village of Questa, Questa Economic Development Fund, Questa Farmers Market and Community Volunteers.