Unusual Gift Grows Trees
Posted by arthur1234 on December 13, 2011
If you’re looking for a gift that has the power to change lives, Oklahoma Forestry Services has just the thing. A state license plate featuring a beautiful redbud tree is a fun and unusual way to give a meaningful gift that keeps on giving after all the holiday celebrations are over.
These urban forestry license plates are as practical as they are decorative. Each license plate provides a $25 donation to plant trees on Oklahoma school playgrounds and parks. The trees are carefully selected by professional foresters to add beauty and shade to areas where children play. And best of all, the gift of a tree keeps on giving for a lifetime.
“All the money goes to planting trees,” said Mark Bays, Urban Forestry Coordinator. He said $14,000 has been raised from the license plates in the last five years. He even supported the project by giving his wife a forestry license plate for a Christmas gift as soon as they were available. Her car now sports one of the first tags sold and she lowers her carbon footprint at the same time.
Giving trees creates an outdoor learning laboratory while the trees shade tender skin from the sun’s harmful rays. The Shade Trees on Playgrounds (STOP) program was initiated by The Tree Bank Foundation to help fight skin cancer. A generous donation from Chesapeake combined with funds from the special license plates allowed Ardmore, Yukon, Thunderbird State Park and several schools to plant large caliper shade trees in the project’s first year.
Keep Oklahoma Beautiful recognized Oklahoma Forestry Services, the Tree Bank Foundation and Chesapeake with a special Team Builders Award at this year’s annual Environmental Excellence Celebration. The project was honored for its unique nature and using teamwork to reach its goals.
Future plans include more schools and communities where shade is desperately needed. The trees have a huge impact in local neighborhoods and help instill a sense of pride and belonging.
The license plates are available for $38 from the Oklahoma Tax Commission. Complete details are online at www.tax.ok.gov/plates/sp156.html.
Oklahoma Forestry Services is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
