The city of Mercedes is receiving 600 trees to be planted throughout the community over the next two years as provided by a grant from the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The state grant is being administered by the Region One Education Service Center as a liaison between Texas A&M and seven cities in the Rio Grande Valley. In all, 5,000 trees are being provided to Mercedes, Alton, Mission, Edinburg, Donna, Harlingen and San Benito. For Mercedes, the 600 trees – which are all native varieties to the Valley – are much needed and will be focused on city parks, walking trails, and playgrounds, with an allotment for residents to plant at their homes.

“We’re a little deficient when it comes to tree canopies, as are many other Valley cities,” said Armando Villela, the director of parks in Mercedes. “We are trying to spread awareness on how to do proper tree planting and care. It’s about beautification for our city, in planting these trees, and what we can do for future generations.”

At a late February event to kick off the tree-planting efforts, an educational director for Region 1 praised Mercedes for its efforts and initiative in seeking the grant and said the city had met certain criteria in receiving the trees.

“This is not just a free tree grant that is being given out,” said Alan Williams, the educational, landscaping and gardening director for Region 1, which acts as a liaison between the Texas Education Agency and local school districts and communities. “The cities that participated had to show improvements in their tree care maintenance and policies and demonstrate they had sufficient knowledge as to what to do with the trees.”

Getting Started

The late February event demonstrated that the Mercedes Parks Department has the energy and passion in working to add greenery to its city.

Williams began working quickly with Villela and his work crews on how deep to dig and the shape of holes needed to plant native trees like cedar elms, Texas ebonies and the Texas Mountain Laurel. The first trees to go into the ground were at the grounds of the Mercedes Dome Shelter at the north end of Vermont Avenue.

A long walking trail loops around behind the Dome and is popular with local families and exercise enthusiasts. Willaims says the Dome area is exactly what Region 1 had in mind as to where the trees should go.

“We put an emphasis on areas where families are already congregating,” he said. “You look at this area and it’s beautiful, but it doesn’t have many trees. Can you imagine in the future when people are walking here and having some big trees along the trail?”

That won’t happen overnight, but planting the young trees is a start.

“We’re not starting out with huge established trees,” Villela said. “It’s going to take some years and we know that, but what we’re doing now is going to benefit future generation.”

Looking For Volunteers

The parks director wants the community to take part and volunteer in the tree-planting efforts.

The city has an active Keep Mercedes Beautiful organization going in promoting environmental stewardship and adding and nurtering greenery in the city. Some of its volunteers were in attendance at the late February event promoting the 600-tree grant for Mercedes. Villela is tapping into the network of volunteers with Keep Mercedes Beautiful and hopes others in the community will join in tree-planting efforts.

The parks director estimated that 150-to-200 trees will eventually be availiable to community residents at large. A preference will be given to those who pitch in as volunteers in helping to plant trees around the community.

“Help us put trees into the ground out in open spaces and at parks and playgrounds,” Villela said. “Then they (volunteers) will be able to do the same at their homes.”

For more information about the tree grant program, contact Villela and the parks department at 956-565-3114, extension 709.

- Ric Cavazos