Sonora, CA…Stanislaus National Forest and the Tuolumne River Trust are hosting a community volunteer tree planning information session at 6 p.m., Jan. 28 at the Forest Service headquarters, 19777 Greenley Road, Sonora.

The Rim Fire of 2013 burned more than 257,000 acres on the Stanislaus National Forest. “We want the community to help us reforest areas that won’t grow trees on their own,” said Maria Benech, Rim Fire restoration coordinator. “We hope people will come to plant trees next month and this information session will explain why and how the planting will be done.”

The Rim Fire started on August 17, 2013, in a remote area of the Stanislaus National Forest near the confluence of the Clavey and Tuolumne Rivers about 20 miles east of Sonora, California, becoming the third largest wildfire in California history. The Forest’s overall goal is to re-establish a conifer forest in order to contribute to an ecologically healthy and resilient landscape that is rich in biodiversity. Reforestation efforts like volunteer tree plantings help achieve that goal.