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Project Leader needs to set a date when the planting will occur. A Saturday <br /> morning works well for most people. <br /> Planting Day Headquarters <br /> When a planting date has been selected, work needs to begin on securing a <br /> headquarters for the planting. Often, a neighborhood school or community <br /> center or church is willing to serve as headquarters. Sometimes, an area <br /> business or fire station can help. If no public place can be found, a <br /> neighbor's garage or carport will do. It is desirable for the headquarters to <br /> have a warm, dry place where one could seek shelter from the elements, if <br /> necessary, and where restroom facilities are available. <br /> Maintenance Plan <br /> Next, the project team should begin to prepare its Maintenance Plan to ensure <br /> that the new trees will be cared for on a regular basis, either by a small <br /> group of volunteers who do only that, or by someone who monitors the neighbors <br /> who have new trees to be sure that they are providing adequate after -care for <br /> the trees. <br /> Planting Team Recruitment <br /> Planting teams then need to be recruited. Each team of five to ten people <br /> needs to be led by an experienced planter who has either helped with another <br /> NeighborWoods project, or who has been otherwise trained on proper planting <br /> technique before Planting Day. A typical planting team can plant, stake, and <br /> mulch ten trees within a three -hour period, if the sod is removed from <br /> planting sites and the holes dug prior to Planting Day. <br /> Reminder Flyer <br /> As Planting Day approaches, a flyer needs to be sent out to everyone receiving <br /> a tree(s) as well as to others who have agreed to volunteer to help. The <br /> flyer includes information such as when and where to meet, what to wear, and <br /> what to bring. Volunteers are encouraged to provide their own round - tipped <br /> shovels or spade -forks on Planting Day. Additional tools required for <br /> planting are provided by the City. <br /> Utility Checks <br /> Approximately ten days before planting, the Project Leader calls in the <br /> utility checks ( "locates ") to an 800 number, and the various utilities then <br /> mark with paint the location of their underground wires, pipes, etc. Before <br /> calling in the utility checks, the top of the curb adjacent to each planting <br /> site must be marked with a single white dot of paint two inches across for <br /> each new tree, so the utilities will know exactly where the tree is to go. <br /> After the utilities respond to the request, the Project Leader needs to do a <br /> final confirmation that all the proposed planting sites are satisfactory, <br /> before sod removal and hole digging can commence. (It is rare that a site <br /> will be found to be unsuitable. Nonetheless, the utility checks are inexpens- <br /> 8 <br />