Brookside Park Beautification Blitz

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2009
MEDIA CONTACT
Paula Freund
Public Information Officer
Indy Parks & Recreation
E-mail: pfreund@indygov.org
Office: 317-327-7035
Cell: 317-442-7578

ARBORISTS DONATE IN-KIND SERVICES FOR TREE CARE IN BROOKSIDE PARK

INDIANAPOLIS – Mayor Greg Ballard highlighted the importance of strong community partnerships today during a tree maintenance blitz at Brookside Park involving about 25 arborists from six professional tree companies.

The arborists trimmed and pruned historic trees and removed invasive species at the Eastside park, a sprawling 108 acres of rolling wooded greenspace. The total value of tree work including labor and equipment totals more than $15,750.

“These companies today demonstrate their commitment to the upkeep of our community assets by assisting the City of Indianapolis in performing needed tree work that has immediate cost-savings and public safety benefits,” said Mayor Ballard. “Preserving our urban tree canopy in one of our oldest parks is a sustainability measure that improves the life span and health of these trees. In-kind investments by partners such as our local arborists allow us to accomplish essential tasks on a broader scale with long-term results.”

The improvements by Duke Energy, Bartlett Tree Experts, Wright Tree Service, Davey Tree Service, Angel Oak Tree Service and Nelson Tree Service help the longevity of the trees and enhance their many benefits. The companies donated the use of nine bucket trucks with chippers for their unique partnership with Indy Parks’ Forestry division, which is responsible for maintaining more than 250,000 street trees and a large inventory of park trees in Indianapolis.

“Proper maintenance of trees is critical to the health of Indianapolis’ urban forest, which provides many important benefits for Indianapolis including cleaner air and water and improved quality of life,” said Indy Parks Director Stuart Lowry. “We are very appreciative for the generous donation of time by these companies to improve tree health and safety in Brookside Park.”

About SustainIndy:
Launched in October 2008, SustainIndy is Mayor Ballard’s bold and innovative enterprise aimed at delivering long-term cost savings to the City, building the local economy, improving our quality of life and enhancing our environmental and public health. Its efforts are designed to aggressively move Indianapolis forward in making it one of the most sustainable cities in the Midwest.