The D&L Blog

Over the weekend, two Landmark Towns, Morrisville and Yardley, received 65 donated trees, as part of the TreeVitalize tree planting program.

TreeVitalize is a partnership launched by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources that includes the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania State University, Aqua PA, and the William Penn Foundation. The partnership works to promote the value of trees in community and economic development and stresses that trees and green space increase residential and commercial property values, in addition to quality of life.

TreeVitalize’s involvement in Morrisville and Yardley began when program manager Michael Leff approached Donna Boone, Regional Main Street Coordinator for Landmark Towns, to explore the possibility of a large planting project in those towns. Working with the two town boroughs, Yardley’s Shade Tree Commission, and Morrisville’s Environmental Advisory Council, the Landmark Towns Design Committee coordinated the project. Representatives from each borough attended nine-hour Tree Tenders training courses to ensure proper planting and care of the new trees. Regarding the widespread support for the project, Boone noted, “This is a perfect example of how a regional Main Street program is supposed to work. We’ve put together a great team of volunteers in a public/private partnership that benefits the communities.”

For additional information on this TreeVitalize effort or the Landmark Towns program, please contact Donna Boone at [email protected] or 215-781-2605.