The Green Bay Packers, SCA and Green Bay Packaging Inc., marked another successful year of the "First Downs for Trees" program Monday by planting trees at Allouez's Green Isle Park.
SCA and Green Bay Packaging, Inc., the program's corporate partners, once again provided funds to result in the planting of 477 trees in 17 Brown County communities. One of the Packers' Green Team initiatives, the program donates trees to participating Brown County communities based on the number of first downs scored by the Packers in the previous season.
Two nurseries, Meacham Nursery and Leaves Inspired, provided the trees this year. A combination of elm, maple, lilac, oak, honey locust, swamp white oak and flowering crab trees are among the species that were planted.
The Green Bay Packers, SCA and Green Bay Packaging Inc., planted 477 trees in local communities through the "First Downs for Trees" program. Photos by Evan Siegle, packers.com.
Receiving trees this year were Allouez, Ashwaubenon, Bellevue, De Pere, Green Bay, Hobart, Holland, Howard, Lawrence, Ledgeview, Pulaski, Scott, Suamico, Village of Wrightstown, Town of Wrightstown, Brown County and the Oneida Tribe.
"The Packers and our partners, Green Bay Packaging and SCA are proud to support the surrounding communities with 477 new trees from the program this year," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy at the event. "We're pleased that our success on the field has allowed us to focus on sustainability and renewable resources in a way that will benefit local communities for years to come."
The program receives administrative support from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Public Service.
Packers alumni Kevin Barry and George Koonce joined Murphy at the planting event, as well as Allouez President Jim Rafter and DNR Deputy Secretary Kurt Thiede. In addition, SCA marketing manager, sustainability and hygiene, Carrie Schuster and Green Bay Packaging vice president of corporate container board sales Jeffrey Walch made remarks on behalf of the program.
First Downs for Trees complements the team's recycling and landfill diversion programs at Lambeau Field by targeting the carbon emitted by the Packers' air charters to road games, which is approximately 450 tons in a year.
Since 2011, 4,263 trees have been planted through the program, providing total lifetime benefits of $20.6 million through stormwater runoff reduction, CO2 reduction, energy savings, air quality improvement and property value increase. Over their lifetime, the tree benefits exceed the costs of planting and care, representing a 300 percent return on investment. Tree benefits increase over time, highlighting the importance of not only planting trees, but of providing ongoing maintenance and protection.
