CENTRALIA, Pa. — There is not much to see when driving through Centralia, as less than half a dozen houses remain. The community was mostly abandoned because of an underground mine fire, and over the last few years, it has become somewhat of a dumping ground for garbage and old furniture.
"We don't feel that that's right. Residents don't feel that that's right. There's too much of that littering and dumping, and it doesn't really sit well with the people down there," said Robert Hughes, executive director for the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation.
The group has done a yearly cleanup in Centralia for the last seven years. Later this month, members will be planting 250 apple trees there.
"We want to come full circle from this land that's been disrespected to really honoring it and growing the ecosystems there," said Laura Rinehimer, who is helping to coordinate the project.
Rinehimer says the project is about restoration, beautification, and education.
"We want people to be able to come back in the future and feel like they made a difference in their community, show future generations the trees that they planted," Rinehimer said.
"We hope that whole intersection looks a lot more vibrant, a lot more colorful, and happy to see a tree-lined area passing through Centralia as opposed to a couch and tires and TVs that really shouldn't be there," Hughes said.
Despite the underground mine fire that has burned since 1962, organizers say Centralia has an ecosystem that sustains plant life.
The tree planting event is scheduled for April 17 at 10 a.m. As of now, volunteer spots are full, but you can click here to be put on a waiting list.