Due to the collaboration of the Cranston Public Library, Whole Foods Cranston, the Rhode Island Tree Council and Cranston City Councilman Steve Stycos, there are now five new trees growing in Meshanticut Park.

The weather cooperated wonderfully on Saturday for the tree planters. Representing the library were Director Ed Garcia; Emily Brown, coordinator of youth services; Edna Hutchins, youth services librarian at the Central Library; Stefanie Blankenship, Oaklawn librarian; Nancy Gianlorenzo, Knightsville librarian; Elise Petrarca, William Hall youth services librarian; and Katy Dorchies, community engagement manager.

“This is the second year we have done this program,” Garcia said. “It is part of the Library’s Summer Reading Program. The trees we planted were to replenish trees lost during the storms of the previous two years.”

The trees come from the Tree Council and were purchased with sponsorship money from Whole Foods.

“We want to congratulate the participants of the tree planting for being avid readers. They got a chance today to help the community by planting these trees to help keep our park healthy for everyone to enjoy,” Garcia said.

The lucky reader winners were from all over the city and several different library branches. From the Central Library were Orchard Farms first-grader Samantha Sell, Stadium first-grader Faith Joly and her sister, Stadium fourth-grader Joy Joly.

Another set of sister winners from Central were Orchard Farms fifth-grader Autumn Tapley and Orchard Farms third-grader Willow Tapley.

Angelina Connor, who is starting second grade at George Peters, attended the programs at the Knightsville Library, and rounding out the winners was Oaklawn fifth-grader Emily Sullivan, who went to the Oaklawn Library.

“In order to be chosen to plant trees, the children had to complete the summer reading program, which means reading at least 35 days and visiting the library seven times between June 23 and Aug 8. They also drew a picture or wrote a paragraph or poem to answer the question, ‘What is your favorite way to share your reading with other people?’ Winners were randomly selected from among those who answered the question completely,” Brown said.

Stycos had the children look around the park and asked them if they knew who owned it. Some said the councilman himself, while other answers included the state, the city and no one.

“The park belongs to all of you,” he said. “The taxpayers and residents of Cranston are the owners.”

Stycos explained that as trees get older and age, they will die, and it is important to replace them with new, young trees.

“We are working today to make something that is ours a little bit better,” he said. “When you come back next year, you can tell people, ‘Look, I planted that tree.’”