Philly Tree People organizers, local volunteers, and residents planted 11 trees around the edges of Campbell Square Park last week in the latest effort to beautify the neighborhood and increase tree coverage along Allegheny and Belgrade avenues.
The initiative, led by Philly Tree People co-founder Jacelyn Blank, replaced dead trees in the park, a long-standing goal of the Friends of Campbell Square Park group. Neighborhood volunteers, including children and even pets, pitched in to make the project a success.
Among the volunteers were students from Sankofa Academy Charter School, led by Charles McLaughlin, Sankofa’s health and physical education teacher and athletic director. Blank said the event was a meaningful opportunity for students to engage with their community.
“It's so important for our Kensington youth to be involved in big projects like this, to be a part of their community, and to have the community see them doing positive work,” Blank said.
McLaughlin said he learned about the event from a flyer shared by Philly Tree People and contacted Blank to see if his students could participate. The date – Nov. 17 – held special significance for him, as it was his late father’s birthday.
“I feel like sometimes the universe pushes us in certain directions,” he said. “[My father] passed last year… the fact that these kids stepped up for my father, for me, that means the world to me.”
The Sankofa students planted three of the 11 trees around the park. Blank provided a quick lesson on unbinding branches, measuring holes for planting, and securing the roots to ensure healthy growth.
For 12th grader William Bowens, volunteering at his childhood park brought him a “great deal of warmth.”
“I used to come here a lot. I would come here with my friends and just play around and do stuff like that,” Bowen said. “To actually come back to my childhood Park and plant some trees… it gives me a sense that I'm doing something; I'm giving back to the community.”
Fellow 12th grader Alex Finch said the event felt more like recreation than work.
“It's very nice,” he said. “It doesn't even feel like work. It just feels like a normal hangout day. It's pretty fun, especially experiencing this moment with my friends.”
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