Friends of Trees, a local non-profit organization which plants and cares for city trees and green spaces celebrated another record-breaking planting season at its annual Leadership Award Luncheon in May, naming Port of Portland its Community Partner Award winner of the year. Leadership awards were also presented to NW Natural and the Audubon Society – Portland Chapter.
Bill Wyatt, executive director of the Port, accepted the Community Partner Award, honoring the Port for contributing tens of thousands of dollars to community tree plantings during the past decade. Wyatt noted the Port values its partnership with Friends of Trees so it can give back to the community. “I think we’re going to have a long and prosperous relationship,” he said.
Since 1989, Friends of Trees has planted more than 450,000 trees and native plants in the Portland-Vancouver and Eugene-Springfield metro areas. With the help of more than 3,500 volunteers and hundreds of donors, Friends of Trees has planted more than 43,000 trees and native plants during the 2011-12 planting season, including more than 5,300 street and yard trees, a 15 percent increase from last year, and nearly 38,000 trees and native plants in green spaces, a 36 percent increase from last year.
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Friends of Trees Honors 2012 Award Luncheon
2012 Friends of Trees leadership award winners and emcee, from left: Von Summers (NW Natural), Scott Fogarty (Friends of Trees), Bill Wyatt (Port of Portland), Bob Sallinger (Audubon Society of Portland), and Tracy Barry (KGW)
Photo taken by Lucia DeLisa