For the fourth consecutive year, Edwards County 4-H has taken part in the 4-H Green Communities Tree Program, a statewide initiative to increase Illinois’ oak tree population and promote tree conservation. Since the program’s inception in 2022, Edwards County 4-H members have planted a total of 100 oak trees throughout the county.
The 4-H Green Communities Tree Program is a partnership between Illinois 4-H and the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts Forestry Committee. Each spring, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts work with County 4-H programs to distribute and plant trees. Counties must apply to participate, and Edwards County 4-H has been selected every year they have applied.
This year, the Village of West Salem was chosen as the 2026 project site, with tree planting taking place at Four Corners Park, located at the intersection of Church and Albion streets. According to Village Clerk Cindy Fuerst, the park was once home to several large trees, which have since been lost. On Monday, April 6, 4-H members, leaders, and representatives from the Edwards County SWCD came together to plant 25 oak trees, establishing a new oak tree savanna for the community.
Previous planting locations include the Edwards County K-12 school in Albion, the former school in Bone Gap, and Roy M. Luthe Memorial Park in Albion.
Edwards County 4-H extends thanks to the Edwards County Soil and Water Conservation District for their support, and to the Village of West Salem, which will continue caring for the newly planted trees as they grow.
For more information about Edwards County 4-H, contact the Edwards County Extension Office at 618-445-2934 or visit extension.illinois.edu/elrww.