Scouters host Earth Day tree planting at Holmes County Park

Legacy Point Park will get another layer of green on April 22 when Scouters of Holmes County invites residents to help plant trees at the former fairgrounds site west of Walmart along state Route 83. The Earth Day gathering is set for Millersburg and will follow a 5:30 p.m. ribbon cutting for the Holmes County Park District’s Killbuck Creek and Sand Run wetland project, with the tree planting slated for 6 p.m.

The event puts a youth service group at the center of one of the county’s most visible park projects. Scouters of Holmes County was formed in January 2019 to support Scout troops in Holmes County, and the organization says its mission is to train tomorrow’s leaders through outdoor youth activities, promote values and citizenship, and help young people thrive outdoors. A previous Facebook post from the group referenced a tree-planting effort that involved 2,100 trees and 55 volunteers, showing the scale of volunteer work the Scouters can mobilize.

At Legacy Point Park, the planting will connect with a larger restoration effort already taking shape on the land. The Holmes County Park District said the wetland project is supported by a $500,000 H2Ohio grant and is restoring 33-plus acres of farmland to wetlands. Officials said the goal is to hold spring floodwaters, improve water quality and preserve the natural corridor of the Holmes County Trail, which now has more than 26 miles of paved surface. As that park corridor develops, new trees should add shade, soften runoff and help stabilize soil around trails and gathering spaces.

The conservation value reaches beyond one afternoon of volunteer labor. The U.S. Forest Service says native plants can reduce erosion, use less water than lawns and provide food and shelter for wildlife, benefits that fit a site intended for both recreation and habitat. Earth Day 2026 falls on April 22, and EarthDay.org’s theme this year is “Our Power, Our Planet,” a fitting frame for a project that blends youth service, public land improvements and practical environmental work in the heart of Holmes County.