For Immediate Release: 6/18/2015 1:03 pm
Worcester, MA (June 18, 2015) - As part of the ongoing effort to beautify the City of Worcester and to make it a healthy, green space, 30 trees will be planted Friday in the business district of West Boylston Street along the railroad tracks.
National, state and local officials, including Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-02), Representative James P. O'Day, District One City Councilor Tony J. Economou, City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr., as well as Pan Am Railways president David A. Fink, will gather for the ceremonial tree planting on Friday, June 19th at 1:00 PM at the Greendale Fire Station at 438 West Boylston Street.
The beautification project, a partnership among the City of Worcester, the Worcester Tree Initiative, the West Boylston Street Business Association, Pan Am Railways and other local, state and national officials, has been partially funded by a grant from the Nathaniel Wheeler Trust. Volunteers from Hanover Insurance Group will help to plant the trees.
The new trees will serve many purposes, including: improving aesthetics of the business district, providing shade for the street and sidewalk and reducing noise from passing trains. Ongoing maintenance for the trees will be funded through donations to the West Boylston Street Beautification Fund.
"Planting trees provides long lasting benefits that have a large impact on the beauty and health of their surroundings. Through collaborative efforts, we are able to make an area of West Boylston Street more walkable and livable, promoting the vision that trees can and should grow in all corners of the City," City Manager Augustus said.
The project is a continuation of efforts spearheaded by the Worcester Tree Initiative, in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the City of Worcester, to restore tree populations as an immediate response to the Asian Longhorned Beetle infestation. In addition to planting over 30,000 trees in Worcester and surrounding towns, the Worcester Tree Initiative also serves to educate the public about the importance of urban forests in cities and to train people in basic tree care.
Visit www.treeworcester.org for more information or to make a donation.
