In celebration of 150 years of Arbor Day and 50 years of Nebraska Natural Resources Districts, Nebraska City Tourism & Commerce has partnered with various NRDs throughout the state to gift a tree to every county over the course of the next year.
The partnership, called The Gift of Trees, includes the Central Platte Natural Resources District. Tree plantings are scheduled in Buffalo, Dawson, Hall, and Merrick Counties on Friday, October 21.
The first planting will be of a Sterling Linden at the Lexington City Hall at 9 a.m. on that Friday. At 11 a.m., a Bur Oak will be planted in Kearney’s Cottonmill Park. Two Matador Maples will be planted in Grand Island, one at Stolley Park at 1:30 p.m. and one at the Central Platte NRD Headquarters at 2:30 p.m. The tree plantings conclude in Central City with a 3:45 p.m. planting of a Bur Oak at the Merrick County Courthouse.
Nebraska’s NRDs have sold over 100 million conservation tree and shrub seedlings since 1972 for windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife habitat, and other conservation purposes – approximately 50 trees for each Nebraskan.
“Planting the trees is our commitment to the future,” said Mick Reynolds, Central Platte NRD Board Chairman. “It is a way of paying forward environmental stewardship.”
Representatives from Nebraska City have been traveling Nebraska this fall with The Gift of Trees statewide tree planting project. It will continue next spring. They are hopeful to reach all 93 counties.
The Gift of Trees project is supported by the Friends of Arbor Lodge Foundation and Grimm’s Gardens of Nebraska City.
