NEWS RELEASE

February 28, 2019

For Immediate Release

City Cuts “Green” Ribbon to Open First Tree Nursery

SAVANNAH, GA (February 28, 2019) — The City of Savannah held a “green” ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday to open the first of three tree nursery’s on vacant City-owned lots.

The City will seed and nurture 500 trees over the next three years using funding from a $233,244 grant received from the Southeast Sustainable Communities Fund. The intent of the grant is to transform vacant City-owned lots into urban tree nurseries by purchasing small trees at a reduced cost, raising them for one to three years, and then moving them to permanent planting locations across the city, where they will assist in mitigating flooding impacts while enhancing public space and private properties.

“Planting trees is one of the most important things you can do to enhance the beauty of your neighborhood and improve how we feel about our community,” said Mayor Eddie DeLoach.

Loop it Up Savannah, a grassroots arts organization, has partnered with the City and contributed artistic elements to the neighborhood tree nurseries. Students from Herbert Middle School attended the ribbon cutting to present their paintings, which appear on many of the pots that hold trees in the nursery.

“These kids came in, came up with their own designs, and painted them on the pots,” said Director of Sustainability Nick Deffley. “They are just beautiful and make the whole thing sing for me.”

The Gwinnett Street site is the first of three nurseries the apprentices plan to build and maintain. The others sites are located on Augusta Avenue in the City’s 1st Aldermanic District and on Mills B. Lane Boulevard in the City’s 5th Aldermanic District.