In an effort to bring more trees and plant life to Jacksonville, Greenscape Jacksonville hosted a tree giveaway on newly-proclaimed Arbor Day in Jacksonville!
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In an effort to bring more trees and plant life to Jacksonville, Greenscape Jacksonville, in collaboration with a group of local sponsors including the city of Jacksonville, JEA, Florida Forest Service, CSX, Gate Petroleum and JAXPORT, spearheaded a significant green initiative on Saturday outside EverBank Stadium.
Drivers queued up as cars lined up for trees ranging from Oaks to Cedars, all indigenous to Jacksonville. The tree giveaway event was not just a community affair; it was an embodiment of sustainable living and environmental consciousness.
By mayoral proclamation, Nov. 18 is officially recognized as Arbor Day in Jacksonville. The choice of this date was strategic, as the current weather conditions are optimal for the successful sowing of new trees.
Residents, thrilled to be part of the initiative, expressed their enthusiasm. One resident, loading multiple plants into his vehicle, told First Coast News, “I like trees… I plan on planting them in my backyard with my son.”
Executive Director of Greenscape Jacksonville Lisa Grubba highlighted the significance of the Arbor Day celebration.
“We are celebrating Arbor Day by giving away 2,000 trees to the public at a drive-thru, first-come, first-serve event and it’s going well today,” Grubba said Saturday. “We have seven species of trees and this is how we get trees on private land in Northeast Florida.”
Carlton Scott, county forester for Duval and Clay County, emphasized the importance of providing access to native trees, stating, “It’s a great way of getting native trees to landowners who might not have access otherwise. It will encourage urban canopy with native trees rather than stuff you would buy at a typical garden store.”
The event was made possible by the dedication of dozens of volunteers who worked tirelessly to distribute over 2,000 trees, contributing to the vision of a greener and healthier Jacksonville.
For those seeking guidance on proper tree planting techniques, Greenscape Jacksonville has shared a helpful video that you can watch here.
***Editor’s note: The below video is from a previous, unrelated story***
