The magnificent tree-canopied streets of Temple Terrace are a little leafier today after the efforts of volunteers from the city, TECO and Davey Tree Expert Company.
Nearly 20 people spent the morning of April 24 – National Arbor Day – planting more than 40 trees throughout the city. Like neighboring Tampa, Temple Terrace is a Tree City USA. Tampa Electric, which provides reliable power to both, is a Tree Line USA utility.
“Demonstrating for a third consecutive year that they are truly power brokers, shovel sponsors TECO and Davey Tree set a new record in both the number and speed of plantings,” said Joe Gross, director of Code Compliance with the city of Temple Terrace, in an email of thanks to volunteers. “We thank them for the heavy lifting and look forward to a repeat performance in 2016.”
After starting the day by planting trees in the Raintree neighborhood, the volunteers fanned out across Temple Terrace to the homes of residents who requested free trees through the city’s Adopt-a-Tree program. Gross stressed the importance of selecting diverse species of new, Florida-friendly trees as a way to invest in the future and to protect against diseases that might affect one variety of tree.
John Webster, supervisor of Right-of-Way maintenance with Tampa Electric’s Line Clearance department, added his praise for the volunteers.
“Everybody who came out to plant today shares a belief in the value that trees bring the community for a whole host of reasons – the shade they provide that helps keep home cooling costs down in the summer being just one,” Webster said. “It’s a team effort to pull off something as big as what we saw today, and it was great to have the opportunity again.”
New trees were just one branch of TECO’s environmental commitment the company showcased during Earth Week. Through their recycling efforts, team members conserved the following resources in 2014:
- 2,318 trees
- 51,803 gallons of oil
- 854,275 gallons of water
- 13,632 cubic yards of landfill space
On April 24, however, it was the addition of things – rather than things conserved, important as they are – that stood out. This was certainly true at the home of Temple Terrace resident Lani Czyzewski. Admiring the new tree in her yard as TECO team members and Davey employees set it into place, she too thanked the volunteers for their effort.
“It’s beautiful, big and appreciated,” she said of the tree. “I’ll treat it with love.”
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