Congratulations to our Fall 2016 Duke Energy Tree Fund Grant Recipients! We are excited to be a part of the great work happening in communities throughout the region. Thank you to the Duke Energy Foundation for supporting Taking Root’s vision to create a vibrant tree canopy in the Greater Cincinnati Tri-State region, now and for future generations!
This year’s grant recipients are:
Kenton County School District The project aims to add real world experience into their school’s curricula through tree planting. Students will learn about the ecological impacts while working together as a team to accomplish a goal. The Kenton County School District’s program is enrolled from preschool through 8th grade so students will get the wonderful opportunity to watch what they planted grow and prosper just as they are.
Lakota East High School long term goal is to plant over 1000 trees on the school grounds to “provided windbreak/sound barrier near the athletic fields, absorb CO2, and provide a habitat for animals”. They also want to build a nature area that includes native trees and walking trails which is a great opportunity to model stewardship and to teach valuable lessons to the students.
MetroParks of Butler County’s Action Plan at Forest Run includes “planting, guided succession, and invasive plant control. The goal of the planting project is to restore woodlands to their former locations, improve wildlife habitat, and plant trees for the health benefits they provide. This project has been given greater importance due to the loss of Ash trees from the invasion of the Emerald Ash Borer”.
St. Ursula Villa’s goal is to improve the canopy cover in our region. The school has removed invasive species from their property and would now like to reforest that area with diverse trees to enhance student learning. The school has created an outdoor education program to help connect students to nature.
Sisters of Mercy, Coolock Community’s property is located in a historic district. The project is interested in replacing the trees they have lost in the past years to “increase the beauty, visibility and canopy cover”. This will promote and educate the local community about the need for tree canopy.
Village of Williamsburg is interested in planting shade trees in their park for the local community to enjoy.
Sycamore Station Condominium’s project involves planting trees on their property to secure and prevent erosion from their hillside into the creek below. The trees will not only secure the hillside but will also be visually appealing to the residents.
Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation plans to plant more fruit trees in their urban orchard.
Asian Long-horned Beetle Eradication Project “will be done on public lands or areas with public access within the Bethel, Ohio ALB Quarantine”. The Asian Long-horned Beetle is a generalist species that has caused major damage in the Ohio Quarantine area. This funding is a start in helping to replace the local tree loss.
Woven Oak’s project will plant trees to separate a play area from the sidewalk in order to soften the pay area from traffic, provide shade to anyone near the area, help define residential from commercial activity at Montgomery Road, provide an educational opportunity on Make a Difference Day that will incorporate the school’s Williams Avenue Community Garden and promote Norwood’s ongoing tree friendly activities while encouraging private tree planting and responsible tree maintenance.
If you are interested in keeping up to date with these projects make sure to follow our Twitter (@takingroot2020), Facebook (Taking Root 2020) and Instagram (#Takingroot2020) page. If your organization is thinking about planting more trees on its property or removing invasive species, think about applying for the Spring 2016 Taking Root in My Community Grant. The project application can be submitted between September 1st and December 31st. The process can be started online at https://takingroot.info/project-application/.