Portland’s tree steward Cameron Scharff was surprised by the number of volunteers who showed up on Saturday, Nov. 9 to help tuck trees on the Bayside Trail in for the winter. 

“I am incredibly pleased with what was accomplished,” Scharff said. “In less than two hours, we mulched and composted nearly 50 younger trees on the Bayside Trail, with volunteers from Bayside, the West End, the East End, and Libbytown. The addition of this organic material will support tree growth, increase water retention, suppress weeds and improve aesthetics along the trail. This collaborative effort is precisely the kind of community-driven forestry initiative that can make a large difference in the lives of trees, the health of parks and the enjoyment of the community that uses them.”

The 15 volunteers were more than had RSVP’d, and people continued to trickle in as the event was in progress. With a fleet of wheelbarrows, shovels and rakes, and piles of loam and woodchips, the volunteers gathered behind Dunkin’ and started with the recently planted trees and expanded from there. The trees in the section of the trail behind Trader Joe’s had been topdressed and mulched in the spring. 

All the activity on this part of the trail discouraged two individuals from setting up a tent. Four used needles were discovered during the tree mulching event. 

Scharff instructed volunteers to spread the loam in a thin layer, feathering it into the topsoil, and then cover it with a layer of woodchips. Volunteers were careful to leave the root flare at the base of each tree trunk exposed to avoid creating the dreaded mulch volcanoes that can injure trees. 

Scharff’s last day on the job was Nov. 21. He served with the Portland Parks Conservancy and Portland’s Parks and Recreation Department in 2025 as a tree steward courtesy of the Maine Conservation Corps, which is funded through the national AmeriCorps program. One project Scharff worked on this season was cataloguing all of Portland’s street trees. Portland hopes to host another Maine Conservation Corps tree steward next season.