Tree planting held at Grant ball field

Thanks to the Trees for Nebraska Towns Initiative, an effort of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and the Nebraska Forest Service, the Grant Tree Board received 10 trees that have been planted at the ball field in Grant.

The new trees join four trees from a previous planting effort, bringing the total to 14 trees lining the fence northwest of the t-ball diamond.

Members of the Grant Tree Board and community volunteers joined forces to install the new trees on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Benefits of trees

The obvious benefits of community trees are shade and beauty, but they give us so much more, including increased comfort, better health, energy savings and a wide range of other social, economic, and environmental benefits. Despite this, most Nebraska community forests have lost far more trees than have been planted in recent decades. Many challenges contribute to this decline, including extreme weather, insects, disease, and lack of diversity. The Emerald Ash borer is the latest major challenge added to the list.

In an effort to stop this decline and increase community forest resilience, the Trees for Nebraska Towns program grants high quality trees for community projects, celebrations, and educational events promoting trees and fall planting. 

The program goals are not just to plant more trees, but also to increase appreciation and awareness of the significant value of community forests in Nebraska. Special emphasis is placed on species diversity and higher impact projects, especially street tree planting and projects in neighborhoods of highest need. 

The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum’s (NSA) Trees for Nebraska Towns Initiative is funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust and the USDA Forest Service through grants received by both the NSA and the Nebraska Forest Service.