PHILADELPHIA, PA

The Fairmount Park Commission's Natural Lands Restoration and Environmental Education Program (NLREEP), as part of its effort to restore and sustain the 5,400 acres of natural areas throughout the Fairmount Park system, recently launched a unique partnership that will help reforest the Park. Sparked by an allocation of 3,600 tree seedlings provided by the National Tree Trust (NTT), NLREEP has joined forces with the Village of Arts and Humanities (Village) to maintain the potted seedlings at their newly installed nursery at 11th & York Streets. The seedlings will be maintained by Village staff and community volunteers until the trees are ready for planting in Fairmount Park. The initiative was formally launched at a ceremony today at the Village nursery.

Said Fairmount Park Executive Director William E. Mifflin, "This is a win for everyone. For the Village, a vacant lot has been transformed into a viable nursery, expanding economic development opportunities. For Village staff and community volunteers, there is an opportunity to learn more about the environment and build new skills. For the National Tree Trust, there is the comfort of knowing that their seedlings are the gift of a healthier and more sustainable Philadelphia. And for Fairmount Park, there is the promise of new trees, nurtured with care, to reforest our natural areas."

A national, non-profit organization, the National Tree Trust was created in 1990 to increase tree planting and volunteerism across the country. Assistance ranges from the provision of grants of one-year-old tree seedlings to classroom resources. Since its inception, the NTT has planted more than 7.2 million seedlings with over 328,000 volunteers and educated over 560,000 students on the benefits of trees across the country. The trees for these projects are grown by the NTT's timber company partners, including Champion International Corporation and Weyerhaeuser Company.

For more information on volunteer opportunities in Fairmount Park, please call 215.685.0039. For more information on the Fairmount Park Commission's Natural Lands Restoration and Environmental Education Program, please contact Nancy A. Goldenberg at 215.685.0274.