Putting down roots

Hundreds of people snag free saplings at DeSoto County Soil and Water Conservation District’s annual tree giveaway at Snowden Grove Park.

10 a.m., “and 250 of those were during the first hour.”

Few trees were left to choose from by that time, but people were still streaming in to see what remained.

Thousands of trees and seedlings of 13 varieties were available to start the day: Cherrybark Oak, Shumard Oak, Sawtooth Oak, Black Walnut, Pecan, Bald Cypress, River Birch, Eastern Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, Red Maple, Tulip Poplar, Green Ash and Loblolly Pine.

A 14th variety, Pawpaws, didn’t arrive in time for the giveaway and will be distributed next week at the Soil and Water Conservation office parking lot, 3260 U.S. 51 in Hernando. The date will be posted on the agency’s Facebook page.

Any DeSoto County resident was eligible, and each participant could take up to five each of any variety except for the loblollies, where they could take 25 per household.

Organizers see the event as a way to promote good conservation and, well, get more trees planted.

Eddie and Trisha Woodall of Lake Cormorant did their part. They were there with son Trey to see what was available, and they left with a Tulip Poplar, a Pecan and a variety of Oak.

The couple has lived on their property for more than 20 years, but they said there’s “plenty of land to always plant something new.”

“We lost a really nice willow tree a few years back,” Trisha Woodall said, “so we always like to add back.”

Woodall said she found out about the event through a flier posted in the clerk’s office when she was in Hernando buying car tags.

And as for Richardson, the woman who heard about it from her daughter-in-law?

“I think,” she decided as she finished loading, “that I may keep a couple of these for myself.”