Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has announced another round of the County’s annual native tree giveaway, with sign-up set to take place Wednesday, September 7th. New this year, residents will have the opportunity to register for a tree at two different times, with half the trees available at 2:00 p.m. and the second half available at 7:00 p.m. At these times, the link to reserve your tree – limited to one tree per household, will be posted on the Department of Recreation & Parks Natural Resources website under the “Annual Tree Giveaway” dropdown.
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has announced another round of the County’s annual native tree giveaway, with sign-up set to take place Wednesday, September 7th. New this year, residents will have the opportunity to register for a tree at two different times, with half the trees available at 2:00 p.m. and the second half available at 7:00 p.m. At these times, the link to reserve your tree – limited to one tree per household, will be posted on the Department of Recreation & Parks Natural Resources website under the “Annual Tree Giveaway” dropdown.
Recognizing the success of our tree giveaway program since 2019, this year we are pleased to be able to offer a record number trees for our residents. Since 2018, we have planted over 60,000 trees in our community. This year, through our efforts to give away 3,000 trees, we are bringing our grand giveaway total since the program launched in 2019 to 9,225 trees, allowing more residents to play a part in increasing our county’s tree canopy. By continuing to plant thousands of trees each year, we are using one of the most effective tools to protect our environment while improving our community’s health and beauty.
Residents will have nine tree species from which to choose: Black Gum, Red Maple, Flowering Dogwood, Eastern Redbud, Hornbeam, River Birch, Common Persimmon, White Oak, and Sweetbay Magnolia. Each tree is native to Maryland, meaning that it is acclimated to this climate and provides benefits to local pollinators and wildlife. Trees are limited to one per household and residents will be responsible for picking up, planting and caring for their tree. Pickup dates are Wednesday, September 21st from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. (time is tentative), Thursday, September 22nd from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Each of these days will have two locations running simultaneously; one at West Friendship Park (12985 Frederick Road, West Friendship) and another at Rockburn Branch Park – West (6105 Rockburn Branch Park Road, Elkridge). All trees come in a five-gallon container and are anywhere from three-to-10-feet tall, depending on the species, so please plan accordingly.
The department remains committed to providing our residents with a greener and more sustainable Howard County. We hope these trees provide needed shade, protection for wildlife, and memories in your yards for generations to come.
In addition to Recreation & Parks’ instructional video on how to properly plant a tree, the County’s Office of Sustainability has also provided the following suggestions:
For further information about the 2022 annual tree giveaway, including the registration link, descriptions of the trees and details on the pickup locations, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/park-rangers#forestry and click on the “Annual Tree Giveaway” tab.
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