Anchorage Audubon Society is distributing 10,000 free spruce tree seedlings

The Anchorage Audubon Society is giving away 10,000 free white spruce seedlings over the next two weekends in an attempt to replace some of the trees lost to spruce beetle die-offs in recent years.

The Audubon Society is known as an organization dedicated to bird conservation, and the effort to distribute the trees in Anchorage is intended to help build bird habitat that has been lost to the beetle kill in south central Alaska.

The seedlings, which come from a nursery in Minnesota, were frozen and dormant over winter and shipped to Alaska in cold storage.

[The spruce beetle invasion’s exhausting toll on Southcentral Alaska property owners]

Seedlings are not bare root, but have a small amount of soil attached to the root ball. That means they need to be planted as soon as possible after picking, organizers say. They said the seedlings have a window of about a week from when they arrive until they need to be watered or cared for.

The best method of planting the seedlings is in a 1 gallon pot, watering regularly and letting it sit in the shade. The tree can remain in the pot for several years. When 2 to 3 feet tall, the tree can be transplanted, but white firs can grow to 60 feet, so plant with future growth in mind. Seedlings can also be planted directly into the ground.

The effort launched Thursday night at Westchester Lagoon during the Anchorage Audubon Society Annual Potluck. A small line had already formed when distribution began at 5:30 p.m.

Gunnar Bowen, 8, helped his father, Duane Bowen, select a handful of bunches of seedlings. They live in the neighborhood and plan to plant the seedlings on their property across the pond.

Seedlings can be picked up from a variety of locations over the next several days in the Anchorage area:

Friday

Bird Learning and Treatment Center, 15510 Old Seward Highway, 5 to 7 p.m.

YMCA of Alaska, 5353 Lake Otis Parkway, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Saturday

South Anchorage Market, corner of O’Malley Road and Old Seward Highway, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Spenard Market, Chilkoot Charlie’s parking lot, 2445 Spenard Road, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Anchorage Farmer’s Market, 15th Avenue and Cordova Street, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Eagle River Nature Center, 32750 Eagle River Road, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

YMCA of Alaska, 5353 Lake Otis Parkway, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Bird Learning and Treatment Center, 15510 Old Seward Highway, 9 a.m. to noon

Sunday

Alaska Botanical Gardens, 4601 Campbell Airstrip Road, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Eagle River Nature Center, 32750 Eagle River Road, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Alaska Mill & Feed, 1501 E. First Ave. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Friday, June 2

Eagle River Nature Center, 32750 Eagle River Road, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday, June 3

South Anchorage Market, corner of O’Malley Road and Old Seward Highway, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Spenard Market, Chilkoot Charlie’s parking lot, 2445 Spenard Road, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Anchorage Farmer’s Market, 15th Avenue and Cordova Street, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Potter Marsh Discovery Day, Potter Marsh parking lot on Seward Highway, 11am-4pm

Anchorage Garden Club Plant Sale, 3734 W. 35th Ave., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Alaska Wildflower Garden Club Plant Sale, 1300 W. Benson Blvd. (former DMV office), 9 am-3 pm

Eagle River Nature Center Music In The Mountains, 32750 Eagle River Road, 6 pm-10 pm

Paddling Fun Day, Goose Lake Park, 2811 UAA Drive, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Sunday, June 4

Alaska Mill & Feed, 1501 E. First Ave., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

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Emily Mesner of The Daily News contributed reporting.