MARQUETTE, MI-- The Hiawatha Music Co-op is celebrating 40 years of its festival by planting trees at Northern Michigan University.
On April 28 40 native trees and shrubs will be placed in Northern’s Outdoor Learning Areas. The effort is the brainchild of Doug Kitchel, who has served on the Hiawatha Board of Directors for the past six years. He says the university has been kind to the festival, letting people park at the Jacobetti Center and the Public Safety and Central Receiving lots. Kitchel says donating 40 trees to the school seemed to be a good way to say “thank you” for NMU’s collaboration and support.
The trees and shrubs will be purchased from the Marquette County Conservation District and planted in outdoor learning areas so students can learn about the Native American heritage of the region. They’ll include the American sweet crab apple, elderberry, plum, and hazelnut.