35,000 Trees to be Planted During National NeighborWoods Month

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) College Park, Md. - October 4, 2010 - In more than 150 cities around  the country, local nonprofit organizations and their partners will participate in this year’s National NeighborWoods Month, organized by the Alliance for Community Trees and sponsored by The Home Depot® Foundation and the USDA Forest Service.  Throughout October, participating organizations will stage 500 events, plant 35,000 trees, and recruit more than 20,000 volunteers to improve urban communities.  Tree planting projects, tree maintenance and stewardship programs, training activities, and educational seminars are among the projects planned for NeighborWoods Month.

As public health, stormwater management and energy efficiency solutions continue to be sought on a national level, these same concerns are being addressed locally through trees and green infrastructure, which have also proven to have a direct and positive impact on a community’s long term viability. 

• According to real estate experts, trees can increase property values by as much as 10% -15%.

• Trees also have a direct impact on economic development.  According to research out of the University of Washington, trees attract business and tourism… commercial retail areas are more attractive to shoppers, buildings rent more quickly, and tenants stay longer.

• The National Wildlife Federation estimates that there are about 60-to 200- million spaces along our nation’s city streets where trees could be planted. This translates to the potential to absorb 33 million more tons of CO2 every year, and saving $4 billion in energy costs.

“This year’s outstanding NeighborWoods Month celebration is a reflection of a growing movement for green cities. Dozens of major cities have declared city-wide tree canopy goals, involving residents and the private sector to plant and care for trees,” said Alice C. Ewen, executive director of the Alliance for Community Trees. “People everywhere are looking for simple, affordable ways to go green and improve their communities. Just by shading a home, you can cut summer energy use by a third, eliminating harmful emissions. What’s more, that same shade tree will clean the air, save money, and enhance your home’s curb appeal. Those are great benefits everyone can appreciate.”

NeighborWoods Month is sponsored through a generous grant from The Home Depot Foundation. 

“National NeighborWoods Month offers a unique opportunity for people to understand the contributions of trees to the health, beauty and livability of their communities,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation.  “By partnering with ACT and local NeighborWoods organizations, the Foundation is able to further its goals of investing in the overall health and success of our communities.”

For information about 2010 National NeighborWoods Month events, see: www.neighborwoodsmonth.org

About Alliance for Community Trees (ACT)
The Alliance for Community Trees was incorporated in 1993 as a problem-solving center for leaders of community-based urban forestry groups.  Its founders shared a vision of healthy, functioning urban ecosystems nurtured by a broad base of community stewards.  Today, ACT is a growing network of more than 170 organizations engaged in tree planting, care and education.  Its members are involved in grassroots community greening, public education, policymaking, job training, and other activities to support urban forest stewardship.  Together, they have planted 15 million city trees by engaging more than 5 million volunteers.  Information on ACT and its members can be found at www.actrees.org.

About The Home Depot Foundation
Created in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation supports nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating and preserving healthy, affordable homes as the cornerstone of sustainable communities.  The Foundation’s goal is for all families to have the opportunity to live in healthy, efficient homes they can afford over the long-term; to have access to safe, vibrant parks and greenspaces; and to receive the economic, social and environmental benefits of living in a sustainable community. Since its formation, The Home Depot Foundation has granted $190 million to nonprofit organizations and supported the development of more than 95,000 homes, planted more than 1.2 million trees, and built or refurbished more than 1875 playgrounds, parks and greenspaces. For more information, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @homedepotfdn and like us on Facebook @homedepotfoundation.

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