Volunteers to Plant Trees Along White River Parkway

About 100 volunteers from St. Luke’s Church, La Placa and Rupert’s Kids will plant 116 trees along White River Parkway in Downtown Indianapolis on Earth Day.

The tree planting is organized by Indy Tree Works, a partnership between Indy Parks & Recreation, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc., Indianapolis Parks Foundation and Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. Funding for the trees was made possible by the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind. Thanks to Sen. Luger and oversight of the partnership, nearly $200,000 has been dedicated to urban forestry in Marion County.

WHAT: White River Walkway Tree Planting
WHEN: 9 a.m. Saturday, April 25, 2009
WHERE: North White River Parkway West Drive between 10th Street and New York Street

Indy Tree Works is a public/private partnership with a shared investment in reforestation of Marion County and Indianapolis and a combined goal to engage residents in tree planting and maintenance. This partnership maximizes the collective expertise, resources and established constituencies of each partner organization and will result in the planting of 1,500 trees in Marion County and Indianapolis through a voluntary, incentive-based cost share program, neighborhood associations and riparian corridors.
Additionally, residents and the general community will benefit through educational workshops, public meetings, print material, and organized outreach efforts. These benefits include but are not limited to:

• Helping citizens make the connection between rural and urban forests;
• Providing residents with a better understanding of the impact and value urban forests make to air
and water quality standards; and
• Engage residents in the planting, care and ongoing maintenance of the planted trees.

Indy Tree Works will involve a diversity of neighborhoods, people and cultures. The partnership maximizes our organizational values, existing programs, and time, to elevate and promote a culture of stewardship of the urban forest.

About Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.
The mission of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. is to unite people to beautify the city, improve the environment, and foster pride in the community. To learn more, please visit www.kibi.org.

About Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc.
The Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. is a unique organization that helps people care for, conserve and protect natural resources in a way that will improve the area’s economy, environment, and living standards. RC&D unites people in urban and rural areas who are committed to managing and utilizing our natural resources wisely.

About Indy Parks & Recreation
The mission of Indy Parks & Recreation is to create fun, safe, engaging and sustainable parks that enhance the quality of life for individuals, neighborhoods and communities. Indy Parks will be a national model of excellence and destination for facilities and programs, protecting parks, greenways and open spaces and championing environmental initiatives.

About Indianapolis Parks Foundation
The Indianapolis Parks Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the recreational, educational and cultural life of the Indianapolis community by fostering support for the Department of Parks & Recreation in Indianapolis. Over the past 17 years, IPF has provided more than $11 million in private funding for programming, aintenance, capital needs and land acquisition.
 

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Paula Freund
Public Information Officer
Indy Parks & Recreation
E-mail: pfreund@indygov.org
Office: 317-327-7035
Cell: 317-442-7578

Linda Broadfoot
Vice President of Development and Public Relations
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.
Email: lbroadfoot@kibi.org
Office: (317) 264-7555
Cell: (317) 223-5181