What a fitting way to celebrate Earth Day and Ms. Trees Atlanta — Marcia Bansley — than with $1 million in sustainable shade trees. The surprise donation comes from Chris Hughes, Vice President of Select Sustainable Tree Trust in Athens. “It was a surprise and I am Astouned, Delighted, Humbled and Very Grateful to Select Trees,” Bansley wrote us. “Select is one of the very best tree nurseries in the region so it is a very high honor that they are honoring me in this way...they are very up-to-date in all issues of tree growing and produce excellent quality trees.”
The admiration is mutual: “Trees Atlanta has had a very positive impact on Select Trees since our beginning in 1985,” Hughes said. “Even before we started to supply trees to Trees Atlanta in the late ‘80s, Marcia Bansley was educating us about the benefits of urban tough trees. With passion and determination, Marcia and her staff were the first to cause us to really focus on:
• The loss of tree canopy in Atlanta...;
• criteria that define Sustainable trees in the urban environment (long life expectancy and tolerance to stressful urban growing conditions;
• Specific challenges related to the proper installation and care of trees in the urban environment.”
The donated trees will be planted over the next three years ($340,000 per year in wholesale tree value) in three to five inch caliper trees.
The catch? The donation is contingent on matching donations to cover cost of proper installation and maintenance.
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