DEM and Arbor Day Foundation Announce New RI Energy Saving Trees Program

1,000 Free Trees to Be Provided to Rhode Island Homeowners This Fall

PROVIDENCE – August 20, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The Department of Environmental Management, through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the RI Tree Council and the RI Nursery and Landscape Association, will be providing 1,000 free trees to Rhode Island homeowners this fall.

The trees are part of a program to help Rhode Islanders save energy and reduce their utility bills by strategically planting trees on their property.

Planting the right tree in the right place is the key to maximizing the energy-saving benefits that trees provide. When planted properly, just a single tree can save a homeowner on energy costs by shading their home in the summer and blocking cold winds in the winter. Some of the other benefits gained from planting a tree include improved air quality, reduced storm-water runoff and beautified surroundings.

Online registration opens Friday, August 21.

The process to reserve a free tree takes less than ten minutes and includes four easy steps. Homeowners can sign up at www.arborday.org/RIDEM, map out their house by using the interactive mapping tool, select the right tree by choosing from a list of approved trees, and reserve the tree by choosing from a list of pick-up locations at RI farmers’ markets in Middletown, Pawtucket, Providence and North Kingstown. Homeowners will also receive hands-on planting and care instruction from RI Tree Council tree stewards.

The free trees are approximately three to five feet tall and come in five-gallon containers. These trees are traveling size and will fit in most cars, enabling homeowners to transport and plant the trees themselves.

All homeowners must meet program requirements and pre-register online to reserve their free tree. The trees will be available for pick-up starting in late September at the participating farmers’ markets on the following dates:

Saturday, September 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Aquidneck Growers’ Market located at 909 East Main Street in Middletown;

Sunday, October 11 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Slater Park Farmers’ Market located at 900 Armistice Boulevard in Pawtucket;

Saturday, October 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hope Street Farmers’ Market located at 1000 Hope Street in Providence; and

Saturday, October 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Coastal Growers Farmers’ Market located at 2325 Boston Neck Road in North Kingstown.

For questions about the Energy-Saving Trees program, call Tee Jay Boudreau, coordinator of DEM’s Urban and Community Forestry program at 222-2445 ext. 2059.

For registration assistance, contact the Arbor Day Foundation at 1-855-234-3801.