The Parks & Recreation Department (PRD) celebrated National Arbor Day 2024 at Civic Plaza with a tree planting and giveaway as part of the “Let’s Plant Albuquerque” campaign. The City aims to plant at least 100,000 trees by 2030.
"The trees we plant today will flourish and be enjoyed by our community for generations," said Mayor Tim Keller. "As we continue the revitalization of our Downtown, trees enhance our shared spaces, providing beauty, shade, and fresh air, creating a greener city for our families."
PRD’s Forestry Division planted eight new trees at Civic Plaza, with fifty residents participating in a tree-centric scavenger hunt to take home a free tree, helping to build up the City’s urban canopy. "Downtown beautification represents a tangible step forward in our downtown revitalization efforts," said MRA Director Terry Bruner.
Jacob Fox, the co-owner of Little Bear, expressed his hopes for the Plaza, stating, "Investing in shade and greenery by planting more trees here will be a critical piece toward making this Plaza the central gathering place for our whole City – the way it should be."
City Forester Sean O’Neill highlighted the importance of planting trees in downtown areas, especially in hotspots like Civic Plaza. "Arbor Day is a day dedicated to the planting of trees, utilizing this time to focus on the planting of our most urban trees is a great way to celebrate our urban forest," he said.
"We need more trees, but need your help to make it happen," emphasized PRD Director Dave Simon. "It takes all of us working together to reach our goal of 100,000 trees by 2030!"
The City's efforts have not gone unnoticed, as it recently earned a Tree City USA Growth Award for the second consecutive year from the Arbor Day Foundation. Additionally, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Inflation and Reduction Act awarded the City $5 million to increase the urban canopy and improve publicly accessible greenspaces in disadvantaged communities.
Incentives are available for tree planting, and the community is encouraged to participate in the "Let’s Plant Albuquerque" campaign to help make the city greener and more sustainable for future generations.