Seeing Past the Tornado

Plant Newnan works to bandage the damage

After the tornado, debris from fallen trees marked miles and miles of Newnan streets and Coweta roadsides.

Written by JANNETTE EMMERICK

Piles of tree debris and cut up logs lined the streets of downtown Newnan for months after the devastating tornado tore through the area. Eventually, they were cleared away, leaving empty lots and unsightly gaps in many yards.

With the great loss of flora and a need to plant new saplings of hope, the City of Newnan approved the creation of the Plant Newnan initiative to regain lost vegetation within the coming year.

“There were some organizations that were wanting to give charitable donations to [replanting trees] but there was no organization to admit those funds, so the city council approved creating a 501(C)3 organization,” says Scott Berta, a registered forester and one of the appointed leaders for Plant Newnan.

The nonprofit’s goal is to replant urban vegetation for private landowners in tornado-affected areas.

In Georgia, November through March serves as the widest planting season. Berta and Plant Newnan hope to get plants in the ground within these winter months with the help of the community to fulfill their one-year plan.

The types of trees depend on what’s available in nurseries. For canopy trees, oaks will likely be planted. For understory trees, possibilities include dogwoods and cherry trees.

“It will be very process-driven with needs assessments and an educational component as well as long term maintenance plans to ensure planting success,” says Berta. 

Plant Newnan aims to help private landowners rather than public property, which is the responsibility of the City of Newnan. Private landowners will receive not only trees but the knowledge to care for them, according to Berta.

Additionally, Plant Newnan wants to insure that landowners plant trees in ideal places where the roots and branches avoid obstructing streets or power lines as they grow.

“A lot of it is getting the right tree planted in the right location so there can be longevity there,” says Berta.

Along with Berta, the city council appointed Angela McRae and Newnan Mayor Keith Brady to lead the Plant Newnan project, and together they created a board of directors for the nonprofit. The board includes two ex officio youth representatives selected from the Newnan Youth Council.

“It’s important that we acknowledge these trees that we’re putting in the ground are really for younger generations and future generations,” says Berta. “So we felt that it was important to have a youth voice in the process.”

While the initiative will prioritize revegetation in the tornado hit area, Berta is hopeful that Plant Newnan will serve the city’s community much longer with the possibility of helping private landowners outside tornado-affected areas and partnering with local schools to bring more tree education.

“We’re working with the Coweta Schools STEM program to get students to pot and plant acorns,” says Berta. “So we can start growing new trees from acorns that were collected here in Newnan.”

A single seed or sapling will reach towards the sun and grow every year, eventually bandaging the damages of the past to welcome the prospects of the future.

For more information or to donate, visit plantnewnan.com. NCM