Chester Townscape's Fall Tree Pruning at the Chester Green

Chester Townscape's Fall Tree Pruning at the Chester Green

posted Saturday, November 14, 2015

Chester Townscape continued its project to marshal forces to prune dead branches from trees in the Chester Green and along the cemetery wall across Route 11 West. Judicious pruning is necessary both for the safety of people walking in the area and for the health of the trees themselves. Pruning and shaping are also beneficial to the town - making the area more appealing and attractive for residents and visitors.

On October 27 and 29 Instructor John Harmer once again enlisted the help of horticulture students at the River Valley Technical Center in Springfield to continue work started in May. Under Harmer's guidance, a new team of students put on their climbing gear and used ropes to hoist themselves into the trees, where they set to work with handsaws - chainsaws are not permitted by the school - to remove dead and intersecting branches. After stacking the debris, the students returned to classes. Town of Chester employees then arrived with the Town chipper to dispose of the brush, thereby leaving the Green clear and attractive.

The participating students from the River Valley Technical Center in Springfield included three seniors (Michael Bushey from Mount Holly, T.J. Carroll from Chester, and Tyler Westney from Bellows Falls) and three juniors (Amanda Ferguson from Springfield, Alex Temple from Chester, and Dylan Vanguilden from Ludlow). All those who visit, work, or live in Chester appreciate the skill and enthusiasm these students and John Harmer have shown for the job and its community service to Chester!

Photo Caption: It was a good day's pruning work in Chester by students from the River Valley Technical Center in Springfield. From left to right are Tyler Westney, Amanda Ferguson, Alex Temple, TJ Carroll, Michael Bushey, and instructor John Harmer. Missing from the photo is Dylan Vanguilden.

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