This press release is from the City of Wilmington Office of Mayor James M. Baker

Home Depot Foundation Awards Wilmington a $75,000 Grant for Tree Resource Program: Award Presented During ‘Greening Roundtable’ at the Delaware Center for Horticulture

The City of Wilmington, in partnership with the Delaware Center for Horticulture, has received a Home Depot Foundation grant award for $75,000 to improve the City’s community forest resources. The award was announced during a “greening” roundtable held today at the Delaware Center for Horticulture on DuPont Street.

Wilmington was recognized as the National Winner in the Small City Category of the Home Depot Foundation’s 2007 “Awards of Excellence for Community Trees and Urban Forestry.” The award was presented in conjunction with the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The $75,000 grant will benefit Trees for Wilmington, a working group of the Wilmington Beautification Commission—an advisory group created by Mayor Baker (then Wilmington City Council President) in 1999 to identify and recommend initiatives to enhance the attractiveness of the City’s landscape. The group is led by Chairman Pamela Sapko, Executive Director of the Delaware Center for Horticulture; membership also includes representatives from Wilmington City Council and a host of conservation groups. Formed in spring 2006, Trees for Wilmington is a coalition of city agencies, community activists, natural resource, non-profit and research partners. The mission of Trees for Wilmington is to engage city residents, public partners, local government and businesses in the shared responsibility of city tree planting, care and preservation.

“Trees are very important to the quality of life in cities like Wilmington,” said Mayor Baker. “The environmental benefits alone are priceless—let alone the aesthetic value. But like any important resource, our trees must be properly managed and maintained. Thanks to the generosity of the Home Depot Foundation, we will be able to ensure that our community forest resources continue to be applied to beautify and enrich our great City.”

The Home Depot Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, identifies, recognizes, and celebrates the success and benefits of public/private partnerships in developing healthy communities through tree plantings. Its goal is to share outstanding examples of successful collaborations between nonprofit organizations and cities to demonstrate that healthy, safe and economically vibrant communities can be achieved through innovative and strategic planning and successful implementation of tree planting programs.

The Greening Roundtable, co-sponsored by the City of Wilmington and the Delaware Center for Horticulture, focused on the economic and environmental benefits of trees, why they are important and resources that are available to help increase our tree canopy.  “We were thrilled to be able to discuss the frequently overlooked but critical role that trees play in our environment with for-profit and non-for-profit developers invited to the roundtable” said Executive Director, Pam Sapko.

About The Home Depot Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation was created in 2002 to further the community building goals of The Home Depot. The Home Depot Foundation is working to improve the health of communities by supporting the development of affordable, healthy homes for working families and by the strategic planting and preservation of trees in parks, in schoolyards and along city streets. Since its formation, The Home Depot Foundation has granted nearly $30 million to non-profit organizations, supported the development of more than 40,000 affordable, healthy homes and planted and preserved more than one million community trees. In 2007, The Home Depot Foundation committed to significantly increase its financial support in these two areas by awarding $100 million in grants over the next 10 years, which will result in the development of 100,000 affordable, healthy homes for working families and the planting and preservation of more than 3 million community trees. For more information, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org.

Contact:
Sherry Nash
The Home Depot Foundation
770-384-4304
sherry_nash@homedepot.com

About The Delaware Center for Horticulture
The Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH) works to improve the quality of life in Delaware by promoting knowledge and appreciation of gardening, horticulture, and conservation. Founded in 1977, the Center’s site in Wilmington, Delaware includes a 1.5 acre educational demonstration garden, a 3,000 volume lending library, lecture hall and a greenhouse. DCH supports 15 active community gardens throughout the city; beautifies Delaware’s roadsides with native vegetation; maintains the landscaping of many of Wilmington’s gateways, corridors, and streetscapes; leads regional conservation projects to enhance Delaware’s urban forest; and provides educational programs for children, teens, and adults.

Contact:
Wendy Scott
Delaware Center for Horticulture
302-658-6262, ext. 104