Trees for Tomorrow Helps Hartsville Stay A Tree City
Planning, Planting, Pruning, Removing and Resourcing
Since Donna Tucker got her husband, Howard, to take her place on the Hartsville Chamber of Commerce's Beautification Committee more than 35 years ago, he estimates he has been involved in the planting of more than 3,000 trees, the pruning of countless and the removal of hundreds more around our city.
Urban trees quickly became a hobby if not an obsession for Howard. He pursued this hobby while maintaining his optometry practice
(1963-2005). Howard continues to care for
our trees and to work closely with the city
arborist, Steven Wild and his crews.
Hartsville trees have been a life’s work for
Howard and many of his friends, as well
as many city employees as our town
works to retain its Tree City designation.
The beauty of our downtown owes much
to the serious planning, intentional
planting, continuous pruning, judicious
removing and restoring, and continuous
work finding the resources.
Howard has story after story about the
hard work citizens have taken over the
years to care for our green city.. Some
people reading this may remember Frank
Prehoda going up and down Hartsville
streets with his assistant Becky Geise
using various watering inventions to keep
Hartsville trees alive and thriving in the
deep hot days of South Carolina
summers.
Howard, who likes the planning,
pruning,and resources side says that
Frank was a one-man watering squad for
more than 25 years.They had help from
other volunteers and many of those names
show up in the minutes of the Environmental Committee and Trees for Tomorrow Committee, which was originally proposed to the Hartsville Chamber by Joe and Betty Wiggins.
PRIDE OF PLACE
If you engage Howard about the why of trees he will probably reply with a question: "Don't you think the city looks good because of our attention to the trees?" Howard believes that trees are one sign of the pride a community has in its environment. He is a strong believer that people should take care of their property and the community property they use. (He hates littering!)
Howard, who happens to be 88, has been hooked on the idea of taking care of your space for pretty much his entire life beginning in his Monroe, NC, childhood. Little makes him more angry than intentional disregard for our environment from discarded trash to long-empty falling down,
burned out buildings. Every morning on his daily multi-mile walk around sidewalks and streets of his expanded Laurel Oak neighborhood you can see him picking up trash that someone tossed. He will tell you he does not have any understanding of why people justify dropping their trash where they are. He remembers his neighbors in Monroe (many of whom had few luxuries) having major pride of place. And he often longs for those good old days.
Howard does his part daily.
TREES MAKE THINGS COOL AND BEAUTIFUL
Trees are part of this philosophy and likely the most obvious because trees distinguish a street, a campus, a downtown, a retail environment, even Mega-store parking lots. Hartsville had a major push in the mid to late 1980s to get the community's focus on creating a healthy tree environment. In 1987 those efforts were realized with Hartsville’s first Tree City designation.
Howard Tucker has kept a personal focus on trees around Hartsville. He worked to move the Trees for Tomorrow fund raising arm of the Chamber committee to an independent non profit organization to help develop continuing resources for the planting and managing of trees. He has built relationships with all the city managers, and the city workers who work on trees and the city's professional arborist to continue focused discussions on where the needs are and how
they might be addressed. Howard plays a unique role in this situation as his major platform is that he is a concerned citizen who is willing to put in the time to help make things happen.
And as a citizen, his tree-focused vision can encompass ideas for city projects,retail operations, church appeal and even advice for people looking to improve their home landscapes.
HARTSVILLE NEEDS THE ATTENTION TO TREES
Howard has kept his attention on the trees. Now, who are some of the others living in our community who love the environment, understand the importance of planned shade, the continuous need for the upkeep of living beauty, who will step up to fill the shoes of those who have set this standard of community excellence?