Youth plant a piece of history

Clarice Nelson and Elaine Anderson shovel dirt to prepare the hole for the Liberty Tree. Twin City 4-H member Isabelle Allen separates the clay from the loose dirt. Three members planted the tree on April 22, 2019, at the Moniteau County Fairgrounds.
Clarice Nelson and Elaine Anderson shovel dirt to prepare the hole for the Liberty Tree. Twin City 4-H member Isabelle Allen separates the clay from the loose dirt. Three members planted the tree on April 22, 2019, at the Moniteau County Fairgrounds.

Appropriately on Earth Day, Moniteau County Twin City 4-H members got their hands dirty.

A new Liberty Tree was planted behind the food stand at the Moniteau County Fairgrounds. Members Caleb Howard, Sophia Allen and Isabelle Allen will now share the memory together.

Isabelle, who has been in the organization for two years, said her contribution to Earth Day so far had been picking up trash in her California neighborhood and helping her mom, Heather, in the flower garden.

"Earth Day is about helping the Earth by planting stuff and cleaning up," she said. Planting trees helps create oxygen and de-pollute the air, she added.

Elaine Anderson, youth specialist for Moniteau County, led the group in the planting and gave the history of Liberty Trees.

"The original Liberty Tree was a famous elm tree that stood near Boston Common during the Revolutionary era," she said.

Liberty Trees became a symbol of American independence when a group of colonists staged the first act against the British in 1765. During the American Revolutionary War, towns designated their own Liberty Trees in support.

"We have planted a piece of history," Anderson said.

Tulip Poplar is also known as the Liberty Tree. Through germination and bud-grafting seedlings have carried on.

Youth learned the proper depth of a hole for a tree, the type of soil it needs and how to keep it growing. Clarice Nelson, fair board secretary, has helped with a tree planting program on the grounds for 10 years.

"Any time you get 4-H youth or FFA youth or any youth involved with the fairgrounds, it means they'll come back and help," Nelson said.

The tree was donated by the Missouri 4-H Foundation in partnership with Crader Distributing. The group plans to apply for a second tree this fall.