CHICAGO- The Openlands TreePlanters Grant Program invites Chicago residents to apply for low cost—and in some cases, free—trees for their communities. Successful grantees work with Openlands staff, neighbors, and volunteers to plant up to 30 trees throughout their neighborhood. In 2015, a pilot version of this new program planted over 400 trees with residents all across the city from Ravenswood to Logan Square to Pullman. Recipients engaged their neighbors, local businesses, and organizations and worked together to add green space to their neighborhoods.
“Beyond providing shade and beauty, city trees clean the air, cool city streets, reduce energy costs, and fight climate change,” said Openlands Regional Forester Daniella Pereira. “The Openlands TreePlanters Grant Program is a way for communities to empower their neighbors in order to receive trees to plant and care for in the long term. Caring for and protecting existing trees is the most effective way to sustain our urban forest over time.”
Tree plantings will occur in Spring and Fall of 2016. Completed applications for spring plantings must be submitted by January 11, 2016 and for fall plantings by May 23, 2016. To learn more or to apply for the Openlands TreePlanters Grant, interested applicants should visit www.openlands.org/treeplanters-grant.
About Openlands
Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 55,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.
Submitted by Openlands Association