VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Valley City Beautification Committee, a volunteer group devoted to making Valley City more beautiful by planting and caring for flowers, trees and shrubs, has been busy with fall work. This past week they placed tree protectors around 36 young oak trees in the area of 4th Street SW and Viking Drive.

The oak trees were started from acorns by Dick Monson who donated the young saplings to the city in 2017. The Beautification Committee dug the holes and planted the 36 young oaks and have been caring for them since.

Becky Heise, volunteer, and Dr. Bob Anderson, city forester, have been pruning the trees over these years. The oaks were placed on this area to beautify the greenspace created by the removal of homes that were bought out by FEMA.

The committee also places the flower planters around the city each year and this past week removed them in preparation for winter. They will be writing a grant to plant trees at the Rosebud Center in the spring.

If anyone has ideas on where they feel the city should be beautified or would like to join this volunteer group to help plant and care for flowers, trees and shrubs, please contact Sharon Buhr, committee chair, at 840-0973.

Feature photo: L to R Becky Heise and Mary Lee Nielson are Beautification Committee volunteers who helped place tree protectors around 36 young oak trees that were planted to beautify the green space created by the removal of homes that were bought out by FEMA in the southwest part of Valley City.