Operation Oak
March 19, 2010
Helping to make Operation Oak a success were participants (back row) Ronnie Weaver, Nick Warren, Joe Penn, Greg Gipson, Angela Langley, Melissa Vaughn, Johnathan Weatherford, Tim Hobbs, (middle row) George Riley, Regina Sprinkle, Lynn Bozone, Donna Givens, Michelle Ricard, (front row, kneeling), Tony McDaniels and Cleo Byrd.
Recently, Baldwin EMC teamed up with the National Wild Turkey Federation and Baldwin County Bicentennial Park in Stockton, Ala. for a special event called "Operation Oak." Volunteers from Baldwin EMC and the county worked together to plant 300 white, cherrybark and sawtooth oak trees. The trees were provided through Baldwin EMC's partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation's Energy for Wildlife Program, designed to help utility companies boost wildlife habitats in their service areas.
Bicentennial Park is what local legislators hope will become a lasting tribute to Baldwin County's 200 year history, which was commemorated throughout 2009.
According to Nick Warren, special projects coordinator for the Baldwin County Department of Archives and History, development at Bicentennial Park will be unlike any other in the area. Warren says the plan for the park is to give visitors an actual visit through the history of Baldwin County.
Karen Moore, Baldwin EMC's vice-president of Member Services and Public Relations, says participating in the event is a great way for the cooperative to continue with its mission of being community involved. "This is a project that not only benefits our community, but also the environment – two things we take very seriously. The results are well worth the time and effort put into it," said Moore.