Park Board Receives 2013 Arbor Day Award

Editor's Note: The following is a Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board press release.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is the recipient of a 2013 Arbor Day Award in honor of its outstanding contribution to tree planting, conservation and stewardship, the Arbor Day Foundation announced this week.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is one of 14 individuals, organizations and companies being recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation during the annual Arbor Day Awards ceremony being held in Nebraska City, Nebraska, on Saturday, April 27.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MRPB) will receive the Excellence in Volunteer Management Award in recognition of its outstanding efforts to mobilize and engage volunteers in tree planting and care within their community.

Following a May 2011 tornado that devastated many trees in the City’s Northside, the MPRB led several critical volunteer events to replace the lost trees with young trees brought in from around the country. Nearly 500 people volunteered from neighborhood, civic and corporate groups, meeting the goal of planting 3,100 new trees by the end of 2012.

“The tornado was devastating to both our parks and our community,” said Jon Olson, MPRB Commissioner of District Two which includes North Minneapolis. “The Park Board’s priority response to the tornado was helping residents and the Northside neighborhoods.”

MPRB Board of Commissioners President John Erwin added that the Arbor Day Foundation recognition underscores the importance of the Park Board’s on-going commitment to the greening of Minneapolis.

“Maintaining our urban forest is an important part of our organization’s mission,” Erwin noted. “The year prior to the tornado we planted 5,500 trees throughout the city and in 2012 we planted 6,000 trees, with 3,100 of those trees in the four North Minneapolis neighborhoods hit by the tornado.”

“The creativity and hard work of this year’s Arbor Day Award winners enrich our public commons and inspire future generations of environmental advocates,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board ought to be proud to be a part of this accomplished group.”

Since 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has recognized the inspiring and life-changing work of leading environmental stewards and tree planters through the annual Arbor Day Awards. Award winners from previous years include the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, the United States Forest Service, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Mary Kay, Inc.

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