Keep Indianapolis Beautiful will celebrate NeighborWoods month with 20,000th tree planting

INDIANAPOLIS – (October 12, 2010) October 2010 will mark the second annual NeighborWoods month. To celebrate this occasion Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIB) will plant their 20,000th tree to commemorate their progress toward the citywide goal of planting 100,000 trees in Marion County by 2017. NeighborWoods is KIB’s urban forestry effort to plant trees, engage volunteers, and educate the public about the benefits of trees.

On Wednesday, October 20, KIB will celebrate this urban forestry effort by planting the program’s 20,000th tree. A little over four years ago, KIB planted its first tree towards their NeighborWoods goal at Washington Irving Elementary School; this year they will return to that location to plant the 20,000th tree with students and community partners. The planting will begin at 10:00 a.m.

“KIB is thrilled to share this milestone with the school that was the site of the initial kickoff of this 10-year initiative,” said Andrew Hart, director of urban forestry for KIB. “Reaching our goal of 100,000 trees by 2017 is very important to not only KIB, but to the community in which we live and work. Neighborhood beautification projects like our NeighborWoods initiative bring communities closer together and instill pride in our surroundings.”

Since the program began in 2006, KIB has planted 20,000 trees in neighborhoods, parks, schools, greenways and along highways across Marion County. For more information on KIB’s efforts to reach 100,000 trees by 2017, please visit www.kibi.org/neighborwoods.

To mark this occasion, KIB is inviting key community partners to help plant the 20,000th tree. “By keeping focused on our work and the people that make it possible we hope to highlight the importance of what we are doing and encourage others to participate to meet this goal, said David Forsell, president of KIB.

To find out which community partners will be participating and sign-up to volunteer in your community, please visit www.kibi.org.

About Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.
KIB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit engaging neighborhoods in environmental and community improvement projects throughout the city. KIB has a proven track record of 30 years of partnership with neighborhoods, the public sector, local philanthropists, and Indianapolis corporations. Last year, KIB engaged more than 40,000 volunteers on more than 500 projects around the city. The mission of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. is to unite people to build community and transform public spaces through aesthetic and environmental improvement. Additional information about KIB is available at www.kibi.org.

About Alliance for Community Trees
Alliance for Community Trees (ACT) is dedicated to ensuring clean air, green streets, and healthy neighborhoods by planting and caring for trees. With 160 grassroots affiliates in 41 states and Canada, ACT engages volunteers to take action to improve the environment where 80% of people live – in urban areas. Together, ACT member organizations have planted and cared for 15 million trees in cities with help from 10.7 million volunteer hours. For more information, visit www.actrees.org.

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