Feb. 10, 2018 – HAYS COUNTY, Texas – Texas A&M University students planted seedlings Saturday to help restore flood-damaged areas of the Blanco River.

Aggie Replant, a student organization whose members strive to improve the community through tree planting events and environmental service, have a history of working with Texas A&M Forest Service to restore forested landscapes following disasters. Over five years they helped plant seedlings in Bastrop State Park following the catastrophic wildfires in Bastrop County in 2011. Today, students have travelled from College Station to San Marcos to plant trees along the flood-ravaged Blanco River.

Memorial Day weekend, 2015, flooding along the Blanco River took 12 lives, wiped out or damaged all but one river crossing in Hays County and caused millions of dollars of damage. Texas A&M Forest Service assessed that as many as 13,800 trees were damaged or destroyed.

“After seeing Texas A&M students have such an impact on the recovery of Bastrop State Park following the 2011 wildfire, it is exciting to see them gear up to help residents of Hays County recover from the 2015 Blanco River flood,” said Texas A&M Forest Service Staff Forester Clay Bales. “This event is a great partnership involving county government, state government, a non-profit organization and students wanting to help with forest restoration.”

This year’s Aggie Replant event is part of the Blanco River Reforestation program led by the environmental nonprofit organization Tree Folks, and aims to plant 300,000 seedlings on private properties along the river over the next four years.

Forests provide environmental, social and economic benefits. As part of the agency’s mission, Texas A&M Forest Service helps restore damaged and threatened forests.

The Blanco River trees helped clean the water, slow down flooding, provide habitat for wildlife, improve air quality and add aesthetic beauty. Without the trees, Texas A&M Forest Service valued the loss of ecosystem services at roughly $1.6 million per year. 

Bales said, “Today, Aggie Replant students are helping to not only restore the Blanco River, they are helping to bring back beauty, healing and hope.”

Check out the day’s videos and photos on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/texasforestservice/albums/72157665634618088

For more information on Aggie Replant please visit http://replant.tamu.edu/.