Trees NC Hopes to Extend its Branches Statewide

Youth with the Central Asheboro Boys & Girls Club
partnered with Trees NC during the summer of 2009 to
weed and place mulch around planted trees in a future
park area on East Salisbury Street.
Nurturing saplings – both the human and plant varieties – is something the grassroots Trees Asheboro has worked to perfect over the past five years.

Founders Owen George and Tim Womick officially renamed the organization Trees NC this year and now aim to cultivate new leaders and beautify communities throughout the state.

“We’ve developed some very successful programs that allowed people from diverse communities to work together to make their home a better place to live, both in the environment, the aesthetic beauty of the community and most importantly in the friendships,” said Owen George, president and co-founder of the organization. “Now our vision is to make our model programs available to cities and towns statewide.”

The group’s activities in Asheboro are extensive. Trees NC coordinated the planting of magnolias, river birch, crepe myrtles, oaks and other trees at dozens of public locations. It partnered with the city to create a mayors tree grove at North Asheboro Park. It donates greenhouses to local schools and built a vegetable garden on the grounds of East Side Homes, which houses low-income seniors.

“We’re proud of Trees Asheboro,” said Mayor David Jarrell. “They do a good job of assisting us in a lot of projects.”

Earlier this month, youth painted a townscape mural on a retaining wall on Church Street. And members of the Central Asheboro Boys & Girls Clubs mulched trees and weeded a formerly neglected grassy area sandwiched between a public housing complex and convenience store on East Salisbury Street.

George explained that the groups intend to build a park with benches and playground equipment for the residents to enjoy.

“It looks 20 times better than it did before,” said 17-year-old Donald Brower, who lives near the park. “I’m hoping it will give (residents) a clue that we’re trying to help the community and make it better.”


Morgan Josey Glover 
Greensboro News & Record