To celebrate Arbor Day, the Westmont Environmental Improvement Commission (EIC) is coordinating its annual tree seedling giveaway. On Arbor Day, Friday, April 28, Village Forester Jon Yeater and EIC volunteers will be at the Westmont Library to hand out tree seedlings to Westmont residents.
"The recent loss of so many trees in town has also resulted in the loss of their associated benefits community wide,” said Yeater, who is the Village Liaison to the EIC. “These lost benefits include regional cooling, filtering air and oxygen production, stormwater runoff reduction and filtering, increased property values and much more. The tree seedling giveaway promotes replanting with locally acclimated, long-lived, diverse trees species to increase the health and vitality of our urban forest in the future. Since the start of this program in 2012, the Village has given out almost 2000 tree seedlings!"
The following tree species will be available for the 2017 seedling giveaway:
NORWAY SPRUCE (Picea abies)
Size - 40-60’ high by 25-30’ wide
Growth Rate - Fast
Fall Color - Evergreen
Habit - Pyramidal
Maintenance Requirement - Low
Other - Good replacement for declining evergreens
REDBUD (Cercis canadensis)
Size - 20-30’ high by 15-25’ wide
Growth Rate - Fast
Fall Color - Yellow
Habit - Rounded
Maintenance Requirement - Low
Other - Typically pink spring flowers, sometimes white
SHUMARD OAK (Quercus shumardii)
Size - 40-60’ high by 40-60’ wide
Growth Rate - Slow
Fall Color - Russet Red
Habit - Pyramidal
Maintenance Requirement - Medium
Other - Drought tolerant
SUGAR MAPLE (Acer saccharum)
Size- 50-75’ high by 40-60’ wide
Growth Rate - Medium
Fall Color - Brilliant yellow, and burnt orange with red tones
Habit - Rounded
Maintenance Requirement - Medium
Other - Good large shade tree
To sign up copy and paste (or click Tree Seedling Sing Up form link at bottom):
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5I6FBbmPT71Y372ffvC3W5QkPj_G_PcAgHwUn3GsJyrMMEw/viewform
Also, on April 29, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., there will be a reception at the library for Arbor Day Art & Essay Contest Winners. See the Village Website for details on how to submit your entry: www.westmont.illinois.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=560
For more information on the Westmont Environmental Improvement Commission (EIC), please visit westmont.illinois.gov/green
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Contact: Larry McIntyre
Village of Westmont Communications Director
630-981-6245, lmcintyre@westmont.il.gov
