The City of Norfolk is announcing “2020 in 2020,” an initiative with the goal of planting 2,020 trees in the city of Norfolk in 2020. Through various programs and partnerships, trees will be distributed to schoolchildren, accessible to interested individuals and families at little or no cost for plantings on private property, and planted in public places owned by the city or school systems.
“Trees improve our community by saving money on cooling and heating costs, mitigating runoff and infrastructure deterioration, and enhancing aesthetics,” said Mayor Josh Moenning. “Working with community partners and engaged citizens, ‘2020 in 2020’ is an ambitious yet achievable goal that will have long-ranging positive impacts in our community.”
By means of their own natural systems, trees provide a plethora of no-cost benefits to communities. Whether cleaning the air, reducing energy costs from provided shade, screening noise and undesirable visuals, attracting wildlife, slowing run-off and preventing erosion, or adding to the overall aesthetic, trees play an important role in improving a city’s quality of life.
The City of Norfolk Tree Advisory Board, Beautification Task Force and Mayor Moenning are partnering on the “2020 in 2020” effort with a variety of entities, including the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District, the Arbor Day Foundation, the Nebraska Forestry Service, and area schools and businesses. As part of “2020 in 2020,” 1,000 trees will be distributed to schoolchildren throughout the community, up to 500 trees will be made available at no cost to citizens through partnership with a local nursery, and hundreds more will be planted in city parks, public spaces and on school property. This initiative comes at an especially crucial time, as the city prepares for expected damage to the existing tree population caused by the Emerald Ash Borer.
More details regarding the “2020 in 2020” initiative will be available in coming weeks. For questions on how to participate, please call Sheila Schukei at 402-844-2010.