2009 National Arbor Day Awards

Promise to the Earth Award

Allstate Insurance Company

Allstate started a paperless service program for customers in four states, and the impact on the environment has been tremendous. For every customer who switched to online paperless statements, Allstate donated trees for planting in those states. By enrolling nearly a million of their customers in its Easy Pay Plan, Allstate has added many trees to the nation’s canopy and has kept thousands of pounds of paper out of landfills. Allstate also practices environmental stewardship at its headquarters through its own waste management program.

Citi Cards

Citi Cards, part of Citigroup, launched its Plant-A-Tree initiative to encourage its credit card holders to switch to paperless statements and eliminate paper waste. As an incentive, Citi Cards plants a tree in a forest for each customer who made the switch. Since 2006, Citi Cards planted more than 2.1 million trees.

This year’s winners are:

• Frederick Law Olmsted Award

  • Robert Thibodeaux of Church Point, LA

• Lawrence Enersen Award

  • Michael Hardy of Philadelphia, PA

• Lady Bird Johnson Award

  • The Streetscape Program of Fort Myers Beach, FL

• Rachel Carson Award

  • World Forum Foundation

• Good Steward Award

  • Blue Valley Ranch of Kremmling, CO

• Project Award

  • The Village of Wilmette, IL
  • Reforest the Bluegrass of Lexington, KY
  • Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association of Fayetteville, AK
  • The Hardwood Forestry Fund of Reston, VA
  • Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, Inc.

• Education Award

  • Tahoma High School's Outdoor Academy of Kent, WA
  • The Kirkwood Junior TreeKeepers of Kirkwood, MO

• Media Award

  • Louisiana Public Broadcasting's documentary Return to the Forest Where We Live
  • The International Society of Arboriculture's interactive “Planting and Early Care” series
  • The Wild Trees, written by Richard Preston

• Celebration Award

  • The City of Minneapolis, MN
  • City of Olympia, WA

• Promise to the Earth Award

  • Allstate Insurance Company
  • Citi Cards

Award winners are recognized for their leadership in the cause of tree planting, conservation,and environmental stewardship.

Leaders in tree planting, conservation, and environmental stewardship from around the country and world are honored each year at our annual Arbor Day Awards celebration held in Nebraska City, Nebraska. The awards ceremony is part of the annual Arbor Day weekend celebration held at Lied Lodge & Conference Center.