Over the last two years, the Highland Community Foundation has been a partner in assisting the Town of Highland in developing an Urban Forestry Program, including a town-wide tree inventory and analysis. The next step in this process is to assist residents in planting new trees to diversify Highland’s tree populations. To do this, HCF has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation.
With assistance from a $2,000 NIPSCO Environmental Action Grant, Highland Community Foundation is providing up to two free trees to homeowners through the Community Canopy Project, an Arbor Day Foundation program that helps expand the tree canopies of cities and towns across the United States. The trees will provide a multitude of community, environmental and energy conservation benefits, along with helping homeowners lower energy bills through strategic planting.
Highland homeowners can reserve their free trees at www.arborday.org/highland. An online tool helps participants plant trees in the most strategic location near their homes leading to the maximum environmental impact and helping estimate the annual money savings that will result from planting the trees. Homeowners can reserve up to two trees if they pledge to plant, water and care for them in the location provided by the online tool. The species of trees to be offered tentatively include: Northern Red Oak; American Sycamore; Swamp White Oak; Black Gum; and Baldcypress.
The Community Canopy Project for Highland will continue until 100 trees are reserved. The one-gallon trees will be delivered directly to homeowners at an ideal time for planting – tentatively around October 15, 2018.