Archived News Release: August 30, 2021 - The City of Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations will be holding a FreeTree Giveaway event Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, 2–6 p.m. at the Leslie Science & Nature Center parking lot (1831 Traver Road, Ann Arbor 48105). Residents of Ann Arbor and the wider Washtenaw County community can receive up to two free seedlings through this event. Trees available through this giveaway event are 450 arborvitae/northern white-cedar trees and 300 eastern white pines. Seedlings are 1- 3-feet tall and should fit easily in most vehicles. Tree care and planting information will be provided with every tree.
Preregistration to take part in the FreeTree Giveaway event is required and opens Monday, Aug. 30, at https://bit.ly/A2TreeGiveaway. Each household is limited to two trees. Registration closes Friday, Sept. 24 or when all trees have been reserved.
The trees available through this event were purchased by the City of Ann Arbor, in conjunction with the Washtenaw County Conservation District, and are available to residents of Washtenaw County at no charge. Additional trees and native plants may be purchased through the Washtenaw County Conservation District 2021 Fall Tree and Native Plant Sale; learn more at https://store.washtenawcd.org/collections/2021-fall-plant-sale.
The 10,000 Trees initiative, part of the city's A2ZERO Carbon Neutrality Plan, aims to plant 10,000 trees on private property in the city by the year 2030. The trees added by this initiative will enhance the city's current canopy cover and will help to make the urban tree canopy more resilient by increasing both species and structural diversity. Urban trees provide many environmental, economic, social and health benefits to the community, including: reducing stormwater runoff, improving water and air quality, reducing neurotoxic exposures that can impair brain development in babies and young children , increasing biodiversity and resiliency against invasive species, moderating summer temperatures, lowering utility costs, improving quality of life, and beautifying the city.
To learn more about the 10,000 Trees initiative and the species available through this giveaway event, visit www.a2gov.org/10ktrees.
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