As the winter snow cover melted and the December ice storm’s devastation came back into full view, Mark Renczkowski wanted to do to something.

The Bolton Road resident, who describes himself as “a paleontologist by day,” is a curatorial assistant at Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. Renczkowski says that on his way to Cambridge he “would see in Harvard the effects of the storm everywhere, while east of here nothing was changed.” This contrast inspired him to want to help the town revive its pre-storm spirit.

Wanting to restore not only the damaged landscape, but also what he sees as a damaged relationship with the trees, Renczkowski thought of donating tree saplings and playing music for the town. Thus was born the 500-Tree Festival planned for the Common on June 7 from 2 to 7 p.m. 

Through the Arbor Day Foundation, Renczkowski arranged to buy 500 Colorado blue spruce, Douglas fir, and Norway spruce seedlings that he will give away to the first 500 homeowners who attend the event.

A musician-by-night, Renczkowski convinced his band, The Grin Whistle, to share the tree costs with him and to play at the festival. They will be joined by the Worcester County Bluegrass All Stars, from Sterling, and singer/songwriter Jeff Brady, from Boston.

Renczkowski says he is hoping that as people watch their evergreens grow, they will remember an afternoon of music on a warm Sunday in June, not the destruction of an ice storm in December.