City of Norman hosts tree giveaway Nov. 15
NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) - The City of Norman Parks & Recreation is preparing to host the “Right Tree, Right Place” tree giveaway on November 15, 2024, at Griffin Community Park.
According to City officials, a partnership with the Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (OEC), First United Bank of Norman, Grissom Landscape Nursery and the Norman Park Foundation
will give away at least 300 trees to Norman residents.
“Part of it was wanting to keep things that were smaller in stature and something that would work well around power lines,” said Colin Zink, City of Norman forester. Any time you can plant a tree anywhere, it’s going to give us those environmental benefits,” Zink said.
The Right Tree, Right Place program is promoted by power companies as a way to increase awareness about not planting trees near overhead power lines. City leaders say, proper placement of trees not only helps beautify the neighborhood, but it can reduce summertime electricity bills, increase property values, minimize erosion and reduce pollution.
Tree species offered this year are the following:
- Prairiefire Crabapple
- BluePoint Juniper
- Little Gem Southern Magnolia
- Brandywine Red Maple
The City of Norman is asking residents not to arrive before 8 a.m. to allow staff time to set up for the event and also asked that only westbound traffic on Robinson use the driveway.
“This is really the best time of year to plant a tree,” Zink said. “While it may not look like much is going on aboveground, most of the growth is going on below ground.” That growth helps establish a healthy root system for the tree and allows it to be well-established when spring rains arrive.
Norman residents seeking to participate should expect to the following:
- Bring proof of residence.
- Only one tree per household
*Neighbors are allowed to carpool to pick up multiple trees as long as they have identification that show different addresses
Staff are scheduled to be on-hand to assist with check-in, inquiring on preferred type of tree, and provide an informational card that includes planting instructions for the species.
For more information contact 405-366-5472.