The City of Bowling Green is offering discounted trees to homeowners through a Community Canopy Program. This program from the Arbor Day Foundation helps organizations distribute discounted trees with the knowledge and tools of where best to plant them.
Bowling Green homeowners can reserve their discounted trees at www.arborday.org/bgohio.
Bowling Green is sponsoring this program and will cover half the cost of up to four trees per property. Residents will pay a reduced rate of $50 per tree and plant in the most strategic area as identified by the online mapping tool.
The types of trees offered are all native species and were selected by the city’s arborist. Trees are available on a first come first served basis and include the following: Red Maple, Tuliptree (also called Yellow Poplar), Blackgum (also called Tupelo), Hackberry, and Black Oak.
Tree pickup will be held May 4, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the city’s Public Works Garage.
“When you plant the right tree in the right place, it can help improve air and water quality, manage stormwater runoff, sequester carbon, help you save money on your utility bills, and make neighborhoods more enjoyable,” said Amanda Gamby, the city’s communication director.
Adrien Lowien-Kirian, the city’s arborist, echoed this statement and added, “This is an opportunity for us to increase our tree canopy in Bowling Green. It’s a win for you and our entire community.”
The Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest membership nonprofit dedicated to planting trees. Its Community Canopy program is designed to offer companies, cities, states, and nonprofit organizations an easy solution to providing trees to customers, employees, or their community.
“Through our Community Canopy program, we aim to provide the tools other organizations need to make a difference in their community,” said Kristen Bousquet, program manager at the Arbor Day Foundation. “This program not only encourages more trees planted in neighborhoods and communities, but the right trees planted in the right place.”
Residents reserve trees using an online mapping tool that takes the guesswork out of where to plant the tree on a specific property to help maximize the tree’s air, water, energy, and carbon benefits.
Community Canopy allows residents to strategically plant trees to reduce their energy costs. Carefully positioned trees can reduce a household’s energy consumption for heating and cooling by up to 25%. Computer models devised by the U.S. Department of Energy predict that proper placement of only three trees can save an average household between $100 and $250 in energy costs annually.
