Center for Watershed Protection Receives $125,000 from The Home Depot Foundation for Tree Planting Programs That Protect Watersheds
Ellicott City, MD, February 02, 2008 --(PR.com)-- The Center for Watershed Protection (Center) is pleased to announce the receipt of $125,000 from The Home Depot Foundation to fund projects aimed at increasing tree cover in urban watersheds. The Center will initiate several educational and on-the ground projects using a watershed approach; that is, identifying the right locations for tree plantings that will help improve the water quality of local streams and ultimately major receiving waters like the Chesapeake Bay.
"Most people are aware that planting trees in urban areas can improve the air quality or beautify their neighborhood, but they don’t often realize that trees help absorb water from storms. Just one mature tree is estimated to intercept over 500 gallons of rain a year - reducing both flooding and polluted stormwater runoff," explains Hye Yeong Kwon, Executive Director at the Center.
The Home Depot Foundation grant will fund several specific Center projects to advance urban watershed tree cover, including:
- developing free, Web-based resources and guidance to communities on ways to increase tree cover at their homes or schools;
- assisting Leesburg, VA to meet their water quality goals by providing easy, yet innovative ways to modify existing public areas with trees;
- working with watershed associations and local governments with on-the-ground assessment and planting for watersheds in Bronx, NY and Durham, NC, area; and
- designing and instituting an easy, tech-oriented method for local watershed associations to assess their local streams.
"The Home Depot Foundation is proud to be a funding partner of the Center for Watershed Protection," said Kelly Caffarelli, Executive Director, The Home Depot Foundation. "Our Foundation supports organizations that offer specific tools and guidance for communities to make the greatest impact through planting trees. By forming a partnership with the Center, we are furthering our shared mission of improving the health of local communities."
About The Home Depot Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation was created in 2002 to further the community building goals of The Home Depot. The Home Depot Foundation is working to improve the health of communities by supporting the development of affordable, healthy homes for working families and by the strategic planting and preservation of trees in parks, in schoolyards and along city streets. Since its formation, The Home Depot Foundation has granted nearly $30 million to non-profit organizations, supported the development of more than 40,000 affordable, healthy homes and planted and preserved more than one million community trees. In 2007, The Home Depot Foundation committed to significantly increase its financial support in these two areas by awarding $100 million in grants over the next 10 years, which will result in the development of 100,000 affordable, healthy homes for working families and the planting and preservation of more than 3 million community trees. For more information, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org.
About the Center for Watershed Protection
Founded in 1992, the Center for Watershed Protection is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to protecting and restoring watersheds through effective land and water management. The Center has developed a multi-disciplinary strategy to provide technical assistance to local governments and non-profits who work to protect the nation’s water resources. The Center is protecting and restoring watersheds by developing training programs for watershed professionals, fostering local partnerships with community groups, conducting practical research, facilitating environmentally-friendly development principles, and providing direct watershed management services to local communities. For more information about the Center’s urban watershed forestry projects, please visit http://www.cwp.org/forestry/index.htm
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For more information on these projects:
Bernadette DeBlander, Project Manager
Center for Watershed Protection
8390 Main Street, 2nd floor
Ellicott City, MD 21043
center@cwp.org / 410-461-8323
"Most people are aware that planting trees in urban areas can improve the air quality or beautify their neighborhood, but they don’t often realize that trees help absorb water from storms. Just one mature tree is estimated to intercept over 500 gallons of rain a year - reducing both flooding and polluted stormwater runoff," explains Hye Yeong Kwon, Executive Director at the Center.
The Home Depot Foundation grant will fund several specific Center projects to advance urban watershed tree cover, including:
- developing free, Web-based resources and guidance to communities on ways to increase tree cover at their homes or schools;
- assisting Leesburg, VA to meet their water quality goals by providing easy, yet innovative ways to modify existing public areas with trees;
- working with watershed associations and local governments with on-the-ground assessment and planting for watersheds in Bronx, NY and Durham, NC, area; and
- designing and instituting an easy, tech-oriented method for local watershed associations to assess their local streams.
"The Home Depot Foundation is proud to be a funding partner of the Center for Watershed Protection," said Kelly Caffarelli, Executive Director, The Home Depot Foundation. "Our Foundation supports organizations that offer specific tools and guidance for communities to make the greatest impact through planting trees. By forming a partnership with the Center, we are furthering our shared mission of improving the health of local communities."
About The Home Depot Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation was created in 2002 to further the community building goals of The Home Depot. The Home Depot Foundation is working to improve the health of communities by supporting the development of affordable, healthy homes for working families and by the strategic planting and preservation of trees in parks, in schoolyards and along city streets. Since its formation, The Home Depot Foundation has granted nearly $30 million to non-profit organizations, supported the development of more than 40,000 affordable, healthy homes and planted and preserved more than one million community trees. In 2007, The Home Depot Foundation committed to significantly increase its financial support in these two areas by awarding $100 million in grants over the next 10 years, which will result in the development of 100,000 affordable, healthy homes for working families and the planting and preservation of more than 3 million community trees. For more information, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org.
About the Center for Watershed Protection
Founded in 1992, the Center for Watershed Protection is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to protecting and restoring watersheds through effective land and water management. The Center has developed a multi-disciplinary strategy to provide technical assistance to local governments and non-profits who work to protect the nation’s water resources. The Center is protecting and restoring watersheds by developing training programs for watershed professionals, fostering local partnerships with community groups, conducting practical research, facilitating environmentally-friendly development principles, and providing direct watershed management services to local communities. For more information about the Center’s urban watershed forestry projects, please visit http://www.cwp.org/forestry/index.htm
###
For more information on these projects:
Bernadette DeBlander, Project Manager
Center for Watershed Protection
8390 Main Street, 2nd floor
Ellicott City, MD 21043
center@cwp.org / 410-461-8323
Contact
Center for Watershed Protection
Lauren Lasher, Communications Manager
410-461-8323
www.cwp.org
Lauren Lasher, Communications Manager
410-461-8323
www.cwp.org
Contact
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