Submitted by Anne Birky
In the fall of 2021 the small and new Greencroft tree committee started to correspond with Steve Thomas in response to concerns about a high, piercing chirp (think one chirp from an very angry crow every 8 seconds, 24/7 except on Sunday mornings) from a foundry behind the Greencroft Oak and Maple courts. Steve was then the US director of Mennonite Men. Also included in those conversations was the supervisor in the forestry operations at NIPSCO (our local source for electricity), the wildlife biologist for Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources, a persistent and frustrated resident in one of the courts who had been in conversations with the foundry manager regarding noise abatement, the Goshen city forester and Greencroft’s director of Resident Life Services.
Steve submitted a grant proposal that fall of 2021 to Mennonite Men JoinTrees, it was approved and the money was set aside. It appeared to those of us living here that there was no substantial progress for a sound & visual barrier made of trees. Our dreams and hopes for managing the foundry’s noise faded. Residents had been complaining about the noise for at least 50 years. An untended, wild hedgerow had grown up; it muted the noise a little bit but not enough for a legal limit in a residential setting.
After 2021, things changed: the director of Resident Life Services retired, the supervisor of forestry operations at NIPSCO took another job, the Greencroft tree committee disbanded, mostly due to health issues and a new tree committee formed. The chirping from the foundry continued, day in and day out. Fortunately for us, Steve, the city forester and Greencroft’s director of facilities and plant operations really, really wanted this project to come to pass. They kept our dream alive!
Steve revisited the proposal again in 2025 to plant 400 Norway Spruce and 215 Eastern Red Cedar trees on land north of the foundry and in the bean field just south of the Greencroft boundary. Steve established a good relationship with the plant manager and within 10 minutes, he helped Steve obtain official permission from the landowner in New York to plant on the land. Steve arranged for a tree company to plant the trees with their tractor; they planted over 600 trees on 2 1/2 acres in 2 1/2 —3 hours. It was impressive and fun to watch the planting!
About 15 of us gathered to bless the trees about 9 days after they were planted. A former Greencroft CEO (now a resident) was there; Steve Thomas came; the city forester attended. Most of the members of the first tree committee were there and quite a few of the watering volunteers came too. Some grateful residents from the courts who listen to the constant chirping attended.
Steve reminded us that the ancestors of these trees are our elders; they have been on this earth longer than we have. He asked us to consider what we can learn from them.
The city forester thanked us—his elders— for planting & caring for these trees. He told us he’s 52 and when he retires here in 20 years, these trees will be just great!
BLESSING THE TREES
Norway Spruce and Eastern Red Cedar trees, we give you our blessings.
May you grow well—roots down, leaves up. May you care well for each other and for Greencroft residents.
We give you thanks for doing what trees do: stay in one place, grow, provide a place for the birds to build nests, inspire us, show us how to wait, (pause while others offer specific thanks). We thank you, trees, for your wisdom of photosynthesis. We thank you too for your shelter for us. Especially right now we thank you for the sound barrier you will eventually provide from the noisy factory nearby.
May we water in anticipation of our children, our grandchildren and others who will come to live at Greencroft.
We give you thanks, Creator of our universe, for our planet which is our home. We are grateful for our little corner of the world.
We give thanks to you, Sacred Mystery, for light, for the sun, water, oxygen, for your breath of life, (pause while others offer specific thanks).
We give thanks, Creator God, for these trees and we give thanks for our energy to prepare this land for the people who will come here after us.