3 things to know about Keep Catoosa Beautiful's tree planting

If you drive along Route 66 in Catoosa, you may notice some new additions to Gazebo Park. A local nonprofit partnered with Up with Trees to plant 5 new trees there.

1. The group is fairly new

The group, Keep Catoosa Beautiful, is only in its second year of operation, and the tree planting is one of its first events. Keep Catoosa Beautiful is all about making the town look its best, whether that’s planting trees, cleaning up roadsides, or adding some curb appeal.

“We just saw a need for beautification in our city, roadside cleanup,” said Kyle Gibson.

2. The tree planting on Saturday is thanks to a grant given by the state

The grant is from the parent organization Keep Oklahoma Beautiful and allows the partnership between the group and the organization Up with Trees. Volunteers planted 3 Chinese Pistache and 2 Eastern Redbud trees.

“Trees provide very real environmental, economic, and social benefits and so it's the convergence of all of those things that really bring us here,” said director Steve Grantham. 

3. The trees can live 20-100 years. 

The tree roots dig deeply into the city, both literally and figuratively. Grantham says he's looking forward to the impact they make on the environment and the people who helped plant them.

“For the next 20 years, as they drive past and as these trees get much larger, they can go ‘I helped make that happen’,” he said.