City Of Marion: City Partners With Monarch Research Project - Planting Forward To Replant Tree Canopy

Press release from the City of Marion:

10/20/2021 3:07 PM

The City of Marion has partnered with Monarch Research Project (MRP) to offer City employees, board and commission members and targeted neighborhoods free native trees as part of its Planting Forward program. The trees were offered at no cost thanks to donations secured by Monarch Research Project - Planting Forward. Participants could request up to three trees to plant in their private yard or donate them to someone in Marion who sustained derecho tree damage.

MRP has strategically partnered with organizations that have the ability to communicate and manage large tree distribution efforts. Since last fall, MRP has distributed close to 30,000 trees in derecho-impacted areas like Linn County.

“We personally lost about 50 trees in the storm,” said Rita Packingham, Marion’s purchasing coordinator. “There was never a question about replanting the trees on our property, but to do so without the help of an organization like Monarch Research Project would have been cost prohibitive.”

MRP created the Planting Forward program with dual goals of replanting derecho-impacted yards across Linn County with high quality native tree species while educating residents on proper tree care and the value native trees add to the environment, pollinators and people.

“We estimate that Marion lost about 40 percent of its public tree canopy,” said City Arborist Mike Cimprich. “It is so important for both the City and private property owners to replant a diverse mixture of native trees to support our ecosystem. The partnership with Monarch Research Project - Planting Forward has been invaluable.”

Future tree distribution programs will be offered to support Marion’s reforestation efforts.

This press release was produced by the City of Marion. The views expressed here are the author’s own.