Trees are an important asset to our environment; providing shade, oxygen, habitat, erosion control and so much more. Why wouldn’t we try to fit them into our urban ecosystem? The urban life presents a myriad of challenges in planting the right tree in the right place: exposure, soil type, eventual height and width, and obstacles, just to name a few. OPPD has invested in helping us grow and maintain a green environment while considering the difficulties inherent to planting trees within an urban setting. They have created an arboretum (located on 108th and Blondo) that includes several different areas for education on multiple levels. Education areas include Electrical safety and trees, shelterbelt/wildlife/erosion, formal planting for around power lines, transmission line demo for vegetation management, and an outdoor classroom with native species. If you are in need of a visual on tree and planting placement in your area visit the OPPD arboretum open from dawn to dusk!
