The City of Jacksonville will have more trees by the end of the year thanks to a donation presented today on the downtown square.
The Jacksonville Tree Project is the recipient of the proceeds from the Jacksonville Night at Busch Stadium event that was held last month.
The Tree Project is an effort by the Jacksonville Rotary Club to help plant new hardwood trees throughout the city. At one time Jacksonville was known for its extensive tree canopy that continuously shaded many streets for the length of several blocks.
This year the Jacksonville Night at Busch Stadium trip raised $10,000 to help the project improve green spaces in the city. Mike Flynn who heads up the project says despite the challenges this year, he is thrilled with the outcome and thankful for the donation.
“We are very happy with the results and we feel the event was a huge success. All of the money stays local, so with the ten thousand dollars we are planning on planting as many trees as we can in the Jacksonville community.”
Flynn says the group hopes to plant upwards of 40 trees with the proceeds from the event. He says the total number will be determined by the availability of the supply when they are ordered this fall.
Shelley Singleton who organizes the annual pilgrimage to Busch Stadium for Jacksonville Night says it was great to be back in St. Louis with more than 500 Jacksonville residents to see the Cardinals and Cubs square off after the pandemic forced the trip to be canceled last year.
“I’m just thrilled we were able to have Jacksonville Night this year with COVID. Early on in the season, we opted not to take that Cub game because there were limited seats. And now with what unfortunately has happened to the Cubs, I don’t know how the fans are feeling but I’m just glad our game is over with and our game was a success, the weather was fine, everything lined up for us, and we had a great crowd so I’m just thrilled.”
The Jacksonville Tree Project plants trees in city parks, cemeteries, college campuses, and boulevards along many Jacksonville streets. The most recent plantings are adorned with bright green bows to mark them as planted by the project.
For more information including an interactive map of where trees from the project can be found, as well as links to make a tax-deductible donation to the project can be found online at jacksonvillerotary.org/rotary-trees