2005 National Arbor Day Awards

Project Award

Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, Seattle, Washington

The Greenway Trust negotiates to buy land that becomes available along the 100-mile corridor along Interstate 90, which runs from Seattle to central Washington. Trails are being created all along the corridor, with the help of thousands of volunteers and major funding from such corporate donors as Boeing and Microsoft. One of the Trust's largest efforts was the campaign to plant "200,000 Trees in 2000." The project was so successful that it exceeded its goal by 30,000. The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust has also created an educational program that teaches students in King County about the benefits of forests.

TREE POWER, Washington, DC

TREE POWER — Planting Trees for Public Power Customers. Launched by the American Public Power Association (APPA) in 1991, TREE POWER is a nationwide effort that shares lists of tree planting and care resources and information on ways to implement, promote, and fund tree planting programs. APPA has recently created a Tree Benefits Estimator to help TREE POWER members measure and track the benefits of planting shade trees, including energy saved and the amount of carbon and CO² sequestered. Now with more than 230 member utilities participating, TREE POWER is a powerful education and community relations program representing 35 states.

International Olympic Committee, Switzerland

In 1994 the Sport and Environment Commission was created by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to promote sustainable development and wise environmental stewardship. In association with the United Nations Environmental Programme, this commission established the Olympic Movement's Agenda 21, a reference tool for the world's sports community to help protect and enhance the environment. Because of this movement, all cities bidding to host Olympic Games must now provide a detailed environmental plan stressing the creation of parks and green spaces, utilization of green building, water conservation, and recycling components.

Burnham Park Association, Morris Township, New Jersey

Founded in 1948, the all-volunteer Burnham Park Association represents about 450 households in Morris Township. Since the late 1980s, the association has sponsored an annual Arbor Day celebration in Burnham Park, with more than 2,000 trees having been planted since then. The association has preserved 18 acres of Jones Woods, an area of mature woodlands that today is used as a classroom by local schools. It has also worked to protect local streams and improve water quality by creating riparian buffer zones.

OPPD Arboretum, Omaha, Nebraska

The arboretum was created to encourage Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) customers to plant trees for energy conservation and beauty, and to illustrate proper tree planting and care under and around power lines. The arboretum features extensive interpretive signage and paved trails to ensure year round use. A special Electrical Safety Education Area teaches visitors how to safely plant near lines and ground-mounted equipment. The Arboretum features some 1,000 trees and shrubs from more than 200 different species.

• Lifetime Stewardship Award

  • Dr. Pedro Sanchez, Palisades, New York

• Frederick Law Olmsted Award

  • Huey Johnson, San Francisco, California

• Lawrence Enersen Award

  • Bob Bickelhaupt, Clinton, Iowa
  • Alan Hirsch, Sacramento, California

• Good Steward Award

  • Henry Kernan, Albany, New York
  • Dr. Lawrence Burtner, Harrisonburg, Virginia

• Lady Bird Johnson Award

  • Interstate MAX Yellow Line, Portland, Oregon
  • Texas Department of Transportation, Houston, Texas

• Project Award

  • Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust
  • TREE POWER, Washington, DC
  • International Olympic Committee, Switzerland
  • Burnham Park Association, Morris Township, New Jersey
  • OPPD Arboretum, Omaha, Nebraska

• Education Award

  • TreeKeepers Kids, Detroit, Michigan
  • Take a Tree Walk, written by Jane Kirkland and published by Stillwater Publishing, Lionville, Pennsylvania

• Media Award

  • Arboretum America, by Diana Beresford Kroeger
  • Native Trees for North American Landscapes, by Guy Sternberg with Jim Wilson, published by the Timber Press, Portland, Oregon

• Celebration Award

  • The Fairbanks Arbor Day Committee, Fairbanks, Alaska
  • Arborfest 2004 - Grand Junction, Colorado

• Promise to the Earth Award

  • Albertsons Inc., Boise, Idaho