Governor O'Malley Announces Marylanders Plant Trees 2010 School Challenge

Citizens, State agencies plant nearly one-quarter million trees in 2009 under program

Annapolis, MD (February 25, 2010) - Governor Martin O’Malley today announced the Marylanders Plant Trees 2010 School Challenge, encouraging students and teachers to participate in the State’s citizen tree planting program on behalf of their schools. Under the program in 2009 citizens planted and registered more than 41,000 trees, and the State planted 204,000 trees through the Department of Public Safety and Corrections Forest Brigade and State Highway projects.

”Every citizen who planted a tree this year ― whether that tree was registered through our program or not ― made an important contribution to our air, our water and our future,” said Governor O’Malley. “This spring, I am challenging our young people do their part in helping create a smarter, greener, more sustainable future by coordinating plantings on behalf of their schools.”

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff officially kicked off the Challenge at the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education conference in [city] last weekend, and has already distributed materials to more than 2,200 Maryland teachers to help them include the program and its earthly benefits into their lesson plans.

The Challenge runs through April 30, 2010. Trees planted at any time between April 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010 may be counted toward a school’s goal. The schools with the most trees planted will be named to the School Challenge Honor Roll, and the grand prize winner will enjoy a DNR Field Day, which will be held on the winning school campus in the fall of 2010.

“With all of the snow we’ve had over the past few weeks, we hope our students will be excited to work with their teachers, friends, families and communities to plan for planting in April,” said Governor O’Malley.

In cooperation with participating nurseries, the program continues to offer $25 coupons toward the purchase of native trees costing $50 or more, redeemable at nearly 70 nurseries across the State.
Governor O’Malley and DNR encourage Marylanders to register every tree they plant . Not only will they be eligible for prizes, but they will be able to see the environmental benefits of their trees through interactive maps and charts.

For more information, a list of prizes, and to register a tree, go to http://www.trees.maryland.gov/index.asp.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 467,000 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