Norristown is Going Even Greener

From the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society:

Just in time for spring, over 2,000 new trees will be planted in Norristown, thanks to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC). To celebrate, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at MLK Park at East Oak Street between Arch and Violet streets on Monday, April 30 at 10 a.m. Join Montgomery County Commissioner Leslie Richards, Norristown Municipal Councilwoman Linda Christian and representatives from PENNVEST and PHS.

Norristown is one of five communities in our area to receive new trees as part of a program funded by a grant from PENNVEST, an independent state agency that provides funding for drinking water programs, storm water management, brownfield assessments and more. PENNVEST awarded the grant to DVRPC to work in partnership with PHS to plant the trees.

The planting areas include streetscapes, parks, schools and other public properties. In addition to providing shade and energy savings, improving air quality, and revitalizing neighborhoods, the trees will also help manage storm water runoff and reduce combined sewer overflows, protect streambanks and improve water quality.

The trees being planted are part of a multi-state campaign called Plant One Million, a regional partnership led by PHS to plant one million trees throughout 13 counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The goal is to restore the “tree canopy cover” – the area of land shaded by trees – in the Greater Philadelphia Region to 30%.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is a nonprofit organization that aims to motivate and inspire people to improve the quality of life and build healthier communities through horticulture. Membership dues, donations and ticket sales from the Philadelphia International Flower Show support the year-round programs of PHS. For more information, please visit www.PHSonline.org.

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