What's Happening in Catonsville, MD…

Arbor Day is April 25, and thousands of people will plant trees in its honor, but two gentlemen who love trees are doing much more than that this year.

Jim Butler, a horticulturist, has teamed up with arborist Harper Griswold and the two men are working to identify more than 100 trees located on the campus of the Charlestown retirement community in Catonsville. Both Butler and Griswold live at Charlestown and are working with WCTV Channel 972, the community’s in-house television studio, to produce a video about the trees. The film highlights the various species of trees found at Charlestown and discusses some of their history.

Griswold was once the owner of a tree business located in El Paso, Texas, and he and Butler have both taught classes at Charlestown on behalf of the Elderhostel Lifelong Learning Institute. They would give a lecture, then guide a walking tour of Charlestown’s park-like, 110-acre campus, explaining the types of trees found there.

Thus far, Butler and Griswold have identified 150 trees, some of which are native to the area, but many more of which are imported. Griswold lists the prehistoric Ginkgo tree and the Paulownia tree, from China, as among the most intriguing.

Butler and Griswold might consider working with a flyer printing company to make people aware of when they are showing the video, and to spread the word about the film beyond the retirement community.