Company recognized by the San Diego Regional Urban Forest Council as Best Innovative Urban Forestry Program at the annual awards ceremony for work to plant 10,000 trees per year across our service territory.
Did you know that our company has been a long-time leader in regional urban forestry, supporting tree planting, offering tree care best practices and providing education about the importance of trees? Our mantra, “right tree, right place,” extends beyond the 460,000+ trees in our maintenance program to support community partners in their tree planting efforts.
Under our Sustainability Strategy first launched in October 2020, we set a goal to provide and plant at least 10,000 trees annually starting in 2021 to support biodiversity, improve air quality and help fight climate change. Through partnerships with local governments, tribal nations, nonprofits and more, we exceeded our goal for 2021 and were recognized by the San Diego Regional Urban Forest Council (SDRUFC) for our work.
Our Sustainable Tree program was noted for demonstrating innovation, growth and community involvement in managing an urban forest, significantly enhancing the community's livability, and helping our region improve the quality of life for all residents through green infrastructure projects.
Team leader Jimmie Webb with our Vegetation Management department accepted the award for the company in a virtual and in-person ceremony held earlier this month. The Vegetation Management group prunes approximately 175,000 trees annually to ensure public safety and maintain energy reliability.
They also work with a team of partners to support tree planting and ongoing care for the remainder of the trees in our inventory that helps create our region’s diverse urban forest. Their work is integral to this successful program.
Some standout tree planting partnerships that supported this award include:
- Forever Balboa Park Plant It Forward events, which planted ten new trees in Balboa Park and provided 300+ saplings to park visitors to plant at home to expand the urban tree canopy.
- Healthy Day Partners Healthy Community Fruit Tree program, which planted nearly 100 trees at ten school and community garden sites to alleviate food insecurity and contribute to community resiliency.
- City of Chula Vista Arbor Day celebration, where more than 80 trees were planted over the holiday weekend.
- San Diego Parks Foundation, which supported the planting of 70+ trees in city parks, furthering biodiversity for our region.
- Pala, Rincon and Manzanita Tribes collaboration, which hosted community tree planting events and tree giveaways totaling more than 1,500 trees, including a fruit and oak orchard at Pala Community Garden, to support biodiversity across tribal lands.