Follow that tree!
Contributed by Palmetto Pride

PalmettoPride, your anti- litter and beautification organization awarded 644 trees to 18 organizations last Wednesday. The trees are the result of a special program coordinated by PalmettoPride and South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) to help local governments and neighborhood organizations off- set the costs of beautification projects.

According to the Alliance for Community Trees (ACT), these are some of the benefits of trees:

• Tree canopies and root systems are a natural filter for our water supply and can reduce storm water run- off and erosion.

• Trees cleanse the air. Much more than being oxygen producers, tree foliage reduces particles from the air including dust and ozone pollutants. Forty trees remove 80 pounds of air pollutants annually.

• 1 million trees = $5 million in annual air pollution cleanup. (www.act-rees.org)

• Trees help cool the air, which can reduce smog and pollution. Homes and businesses shaded by trees use less energy for cooling.

• 1 million trees = $10 million in annual energy savings. (www.actrees.org)

• Consumers respond positively to healthy environments.

• Trees have a positive economic impact on real estate transactions. Landscaping speeds up the sale of a house by 4 to 6 weeks.

• Shaded business districts = 11% increase in business. (www.actrees.org)

PalmettoPride purchases seedlings based on SC Forestry Commission native- plant guidelines, and SCDC nurtures the seedlings into trees at several horticulture sites in the state prison system. This program not only allows PalmettoPride to have an indirect hand at grassroots beautification projects, it saves local governments a significant amount of money from not having to purchase the trees. SCDC inmates also learn lifeskills in horticulture from growing the plants.

PalmettoPride created the tree grant as a way to impact the quality of life in communities statewide. Trees and other landscaping not only create cleaner environments, but they provide for a healthy economic development platform. For more information on the Palmetto- Pride Tree Grant, please visit www.palmettopride.org.