JACKSON TWP — Volunteers have begun planting trees and shrubs at the site of the proposed CHZ Composting and Education Center.

But more volunteers are needed to help work on the center, according to Wes Hamilton, a Zelienople lawyer spearheading the effort.

The project hasn’t been finally approved by the three participating municipalities of Cranberry Township, Harmony and Zelienople, but that hasn’t stopped volunteers from recently planting more than 400 trees and shrubs there.

The 30 acres is in Jackson Township but will be built on property owned by Zelienople. The facility will be designed and used as an educational tool, as well as a composting and recycling center.

It’s currently not clear who will run the center, but Hamilton said plans include the planting of more than 1,000 additional trees and shrubs.

By the time the project is complete in several years, Hamilton said more than 2,000 trees and shrubs will be planted.

That kind of work takes a lot of volunteers, Hamilton said, and even more are needed to help complete the massive work.

However, the work being done at the site isn’t limited to just planting. There also are four acres of wooded wetlands, land that has been destroyed by invasive species.

To rehabilitate the area, volunteers must clear the area and spray it with pesticides. They will return the next spring to install native plants there.

“These people are extremely skilled,” Hamilton said about the volunteers, which include two master gardeners. “I’ve never worked with a group that is more savvy and dedicated to a cause. The folks with us right now are very good.”

But that doesn’t mean there are enough, he said. Hamilton urged anyone wanting to volunteer to visit the CHZ office at 208 S. Main St., Zelienople.

While much work has been done, there is much more to do.

“We haven’t even scratched the surface,” he said.

Hamilton estimated the CHZ project will likely be presented in the next 60 days to the three municipalities, all of which must approve the facility.