The Green Bay Packers, Essity and Green Bay Packaging Inc., recognized another successful year of the "First Downs for Trees" program Thursday by planting trees at Green Bay's Colburn Park.

Essity and Green Bay Packaging, Inc., the program's corporate partners, once again provided funds that supported the planting of 406 trees in 16 Brown County communities this spring. 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 and flowering crab trees are among the species that were planted. Receiving trees were Allouez, Ashwaubenon, Bellevue, De Pere, Green Bay, Hobart, Howard, Lawrence, Ledgeview, Morrison, Pulaski, Scott, Suamico, Wrightstown, Brown County and Oneida Nation.

Thursday's event also featured an Arbor Day proclamation from Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, along with students from Holy Family School, who developed a project to plant 150 trees in Colburn Park.

First Downs for Trees receives administrative support from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Public Service.

The program complements the Packers' recycling and landfill diversion programs at Lambeau Field by targeting the carbon emitted by the team's air charters to road games, which is approximately 450 tons in a year.

Since 2011, 6,389 trees have been planted through the program, providing total lifetime benefits of nearly $31 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.