American Forests Establishes Two Neighborhood Tree Nurseries in Columbus Ohio for Earth Month 2019

With support from JPMorgan Chase, vacant lots will soon be transformed into beautiful working nurseries made especially for its nearby neighbors using 1,500 tree seedlings

(Washington, DC) – American Forests, the oldest national conservation group in the United States, will celebrate the 2019 Earth Day in Columbus, Ohio with tree nursery building events in the Linden and Hilltop Neighborhoods on Monday, April 22 beginning at 9:00 am. JPMorgan Chase and Green Columbus – a group responsible for Earth Day Columbus, the largest volunteer-led Earth Day effort and celebration in the country – are supporting this effort through capital and volunteering activities.

JPMorgan Chase employees will plant 1,500 tree seedlings between the two Columbus nursery locations and these trees will be nurtured over the next three years. Once the trees have matured, the two nurseries will serve as tree-giveaway locations for neighbors. The purpose of the nurseries is to build community-led efforts to increase their tree canopy.

“Columbus is a city with a smart growth strategy that understands the benefits of trees for building diverse and inclusive communities,” said Jad Daley, President and CEO of American Forests. “At American Forests, we have made it our priority to increase urban tree canopy in neighborhoods that need it the most, benefitting communities and people who have been left behind. We have identified important tree gaps in Columbus, and are taking action with JPMorgan Chase and Green Columbus to bring the benefits of trees to more people.”

JPMorgan Chase has a history of advancing environmentally sustainable solutions for clients and its own operations, which includes a commitment to facilitate $200 billion in clean financing through 2025.

“We are committed to supporting sustainability in a variety of ways,” said Corrine Burger, Columbus Market Leader for JPMorgan Chase. “And this Earth Day, we’re proud to not only help plant trees but to help two of our communities plant seeds for a better future.”

Seedlings from these projects can be used for a diverse range of conservation efforts, like stabilizing soil and contributing to erosion control, and maintaining a healthy neighborhood ecosystem. The nurseries will host a range of species that will cultivate a high quality of locally grown, drought-tolerant conservation species for these Columbus neighborhoods.

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About American Forests

Founded in 1875, American Forests is the nation’s oldest conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring America’s forests, but our work today is more critical than ever because forests are a natural climate solution. Since 1990 alone, we have planted over 60 million trees in forest restoration projects in all 50 U.S. states. We have also worked in dozens of cities across America, expanding tree canopy and making our communities more sustainable, beautiful, and livable. Together, these projects recover hundreds of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat, safeguard vital watersheds, absorb millions of tons of greenhouse gases and protect some of the most stunning landscapes in America.

About Green Columbus

Green Columbus is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable living in central Ohio and globally. Green Columbus will assist environmental advocates to communicate information regarding threats facing our natural resources. However, we will not stop there. Many of the environmental problems we face today can be solved with existing strategies. Green Columbus also intends to raise awareness about what can be done to address both local and global environmental challenges.

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