BENTONVILLE — The city will be much greener on Oct. 26 — about 1,000 trees greener. Hundreds of trees will be planted along major corridors throughout the city. Another 150 trees will be distributed to residents that morning through the city’s annual tree giveaway at Lawrence Plaza.
The program will coincide with Make A Difference Day, the Keep Arkansas Beautiful campaign and the city’s annual fall cleanup. Residents and local groups are encouraged to volunteer a few hours of their their time on the morning of Oct. 26 to help make the city a shadier place to live.
Fast Facts
Trees
• One hundred trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other pollutants each year.
• Strategically placed trees save up to 56 percent on annual air conditioning costs.
• Shoppers tend to spend on average of 12 percent more per shopping trip in tree-lined commercial districts.
• Large specimen trees can increase home values by up to 10 percent.
• Tree-filled neighborhoods have lower rates of domestic violence and tend to be safer, more stable neighborhoods.
Source: City Of Bentonville
The city will invest $25,000 in the trees and looks to line up an additional $25,000 to $30,000 for other tree purchases. The trees will be concentrated in well-traveled areas like East Central Avenue, Southwest I Street and Walton Boulevard, said Shelli Kerr, city planning services manager.
Troy Galloway, director of community development for the city, said the program is designed to improve the city and increase awareness of the need for trees.
“We want to encourage individuals to plant more trees and to really take care of them,” Galloway said. “You can really reduce electricity bills with strategically placed, mature trees on a property. They create an insulating environment that can make a significant difference.”
Droughts during the past few summers took a toll on many trees, especially those under five years old that require additional care and water, Galloway said.
The city will partner with Walmart, the Bentonville School District, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Arvest Bank on the project. Partners will provide volunteer groups, while Arvest will provide lunch for the volunteers. The city still needs additional volunteers to help.
Those interested should contact Danielle Shasteen, city community programs coordinator, at 479-271-6826. Volunteers should bring gloves and a shovel if they have one. The city will dig the holes for the trees and volunteers will plant and cover the saplings.
“It’s a couple of hours work and a free lunch,” Shasteen said.
The program will complement the city’s new landscaping ordinance adopted earlier this month, Galloway said. The ordinance aims to increase the tree canopy in the city after a 2010 study determined Bentonville has 19 percent tree canopy. The study recommends cities have in excess of 40 percent tree canopy.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department also plans to add more trees. A sugar maple grove will be added at Orchards Park to honor residents who have left a legacy in Bentonville, said David Wright, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.
“The city has committed to increasing the tree canopy over the last several years,” Galloway said. “We knew we were not where we should be. The study was a catalyst. But we have a ways to go.”
Kerr said she hopes to make the mass tree planting an annual event to expand the number of trees over time.