HUNTSVILLE – The Green Team will be in action Saturday, spearheading Mayor Tommy Battle’s annual Tree Planting Day event designed to grow community goodwill as well as the city’s canopy.
The environmentally driven event in John Hunt Park will be 9-11 a.m. Saturday. The Green Team will prep the holes and provide all planting supplies. Battle, city arborist Marc Byers and Green Team members will offer planting tips.
There will be free coffee, donuts and seedling trees while supplies last. Volunteers may arrive at any time, and all ages are encouraged to participate. Volunteers should park at 2315 Airport Road and look for the Green Team signs.
“Many hands make light work, and the best way to secure a future for generations to come is by investing in planting trees now,” the mayor said. “We invite our residents to join us in our commitment to a greener, more sustainable city by helping plant hundreds of trees in Huntsville’s largest park.”
Brian Walker, the city’s director for landscape management, said his department carefully selects a variety of hardwood species that are the best ecological fit for an active park.
“Through our Tree Canopy program, the city plants, prunes and cares for thousands of trees,” Walker said. “We enjoy being stewards of Huntsville’s urban forest and we need everyone’s help to protect and expand this vital natural resource.”
Trees and forests are a vital component of healthy, livable and sustainable cities. Other than aesthetics, trees provide the first line of defense against extreme heat and absorb carbon from the environment.
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