Arbor Day Foundation Honors Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is the recipient of a 2013 Arbor Day Award in honor of its outstanding contribution to tree planting, conservation and stewardship, the Arbor Day Foundation announced this week.

The Minneapoalis Park and Recreation Board is one of 14 individuals, organizations and companies being recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation during the annual Arbor Day Awards ceremony being held in Nebraska City, Nebraska, on Saturday, April 27.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MRPB) will receive the Excellence in Volunteer Management Award in recognition of its outstanding efforts to mobilize and engage volunteers in tree planting and care within their community.

Following a May 2011 tornado that devastated many trees in the Citys Northside, the MPRB led several critical volunteer events to replace the lost trees with young trees brought in from around the country. Nearly 500 people volunteered from neighborhood, civic and corporate groups, meeting the goal of planting 3,100 new trees by the end of 2012.

The tornado was devastating to both our parks and our community, said Jon Olson, MPRB Commissioner of District Two which includes North Minneapolis. The Park Boards priority response to the tornado was helping residents and the Northside neighborhoods.

MPRB Board of Commissioners President John Erwin added that the Arbor Day Foundation recognition underscores the importance of the Park Boards on-going commitment to the greening of Minneapolis.

Maintaining our urban forest is an important part of our organizations mission, Erwin noted. The year prior to the tornado we planted 5,500 trees throughout the city and in 2012 we planted 6,000 trees, with 3,100 of those trees in the four North Minneapolis neighborhoods hit by the tornado.

The creativity and hard work of this years Arbor Day Award winners enrich our public commons and inspire future generations of environmental advocates, said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board ought to be proud to be a part of this accomplished group.

Since 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has recognized the inspiring and life-changing work of leading environmental stewards and tree planters through the annual Arbor Day Awards. Award winners from previous years include the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, Maryland Governor Martin OMalley, the United States Forest Service, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Mary Kay, Inc.

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About the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization of one million members, with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org, or by visiting us on Facebook at facebook.com/arborday or Twitter at twitter.com/arborday.

About the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board: The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is an independent park system featuring 197 park properties and 6,744 acres of parkland and water. The Park Boards Forestry Department is instrumental in planting trees and maintaining the urban canopy, both within parks and along approximately 1,000 miles of city boulevards.