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DNR’s Tree-Mendous Maryland Launches Trees for Schools Project in Montgomery County
Montgomery County — In partnership with the Montgomery County Sierra Club Chapter, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service’s Tree-Mendous Maryland program is launching a Trees for Schools project to help teachers and students in Montgomery County Public Schools plant native trees in their school yards.
“Helping teachers and students plant trees in our school yards and communities exemplifies our efforts to ensure a smarter and greener Maryland,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “I hope that teachers in Montgomery County take advantage of this opportunity to give students hands-on experience restoring and learning about our environment.”
DNR aims to provide at least 20 schools with 6-foot tall native trees for environmental education projects during the Trees for Schools project’s first year. So far, four Montgomery County schools have signed up for the project. Schools will also receive age appropriate educational factsheets about the benefits of trees for their students.
“No one is too young to learn the value of trees and there is no better way to learn that than planting a young tree and nurturing it into the future,” said Terry Galloway, director of the Tree-Mendous Maryland Program. “Additionally, the project will help Montgomery County schools increase tree canopy in their communities and create healthier schoolyards for both children and wildlife.”
Interested schools should contact Terry Galloway at tgalloway@dnr.state.md.us or 410-260-8510 or visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/forests/treemendous. DNR’s Tree-Mendous Maryland Program helps Marylanders plant, care for and maintain trees in order to help restore and protect the natural environment, in particular, our greatest natural resource, the Chesapeake Bay.
"At a time when students are increasingly aware of the challenges posed by global climate change, the Sierra Club is proud to support tree planting projects at our local schools,” said David Hauck, Chair of the Montgomery County Sierra Club Chapter. “By planting trees today, Montgomery County's students are showing their willingness to tackle global warming."
In April, Governor Martin O’Malley established the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature, a coalition of state, local, private and non-profit partners charged with promoting the well-being of youth by accelerating environmental learning and expanding opportunities for outdoor experiences. The partnership is working to create an environmental literacy plan for Maryland students, increase opportunities for structured outdoor learning through programming on state parks and other conservation lands, enhance school and community natural areas to provide for structured and unstructured play, and track progress. Additionally, to ensure that every Maryland child receives a world class education, the O’Malley-Brown Administration made a historic $5.3 billion investment in K-12 education, including $741 million for school construction and renovation.
The 6,000-member Montgomery County Sierra Club Chapter is committed to promoting energy efficiency and conservation, smart growth, protecting and restoring the quality of the natural and human environment and preserving and enjoying natural habitats within the county. For more information visit http://maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/.
October 6, 2008 Contact: Olivia Campbell
410-260-8016 office I 410-507-7525 cell
ocampbell@dnr.state.md.usMaryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov.