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Barton James Barcel of rural
Bellwood of rural Bellwood recently donated a variety of trees
to the city, 200 of which were planted at Wilderness
Park. Another 100 trees were planted in Bradshaw Park,
while the remaining trees were planted at various city parks
and the city's golf courses and cemeteries, City Parks
Superintendent Doug Moore said.
"Over the last few years,
(Barcel has) been real generous in donating trees to the city
park system. Moore said.
The five to eight- foot trees
were planted about three weeks ago when the city used Barcel's
spade to move them. It took a month to plant the trees,
Moore said.
Barcel said the trees include a
variety of species, such as river birch, Kentucky coffee
trees, red buds, black cherries, red oaks, white oaks, black
oaks, swamp white oaks, crimson frost birch and Chinese.
Barcel said most of the trees are not native to Nebraska.
Barcel, co-owner of Barcel
Landscape Products Inc. and Barcel Mill & Lumber Co. in
rural Bellwood, is raising about 3,000 trees on his 47 acres
which he plans to donate to area cities. He has donated
trees to Bellwood and Rising City as well as Columbus.
Barcel said he has offered
trees to other cities, but many have not been able to get them
because they do not have the time or money to plant them.
For the past 12 years, he has
been raising the trees for research for the potting soil he
sells. Barcel said planting trees is just a hobby for
him.
"In an effort to perfect
the potting soil and keep up with trends the industry wants,
we plant different species of trees in it to see how they
do," he said. "I collect trees. I always
buy more than I need."
Barcel has planted about 200
different tree species on his land, some of which are the only
ones planted in the state. But, as Barcel started to run
out of room, he began donating trees. "I just like
trees. I like to plant them," he said.
"It's a bad habit if you ask my wife."
If the city were to purchase
the trees, Barcel said they would cost between $30 and $65
each, bringing the purchase price to $13,230 and $28,665.
Barcel also donated some bigger
trees a few years ago, which would sold for about $300 to
$400.
Moore said if the city had not
gotten the trees from Barcel, on an average year they would
only plant about 50 trees.
When cities get trees from
Barcel, he said the only thing he asks of them is to recognize
they are a donation.
"They do have a
value," he said. "We're diversifying our
forest that way.
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