Savannah’s Office of Environmental Sustainability celebrates with green ribbon cutting
Written by Kelsey Sanchez
The City of Savannah’s Office of Sustainability secured a $230,000 grant for a pilot-project to replenish Savannah’s tree canopy, add water storage capacity for the city and reduce flooding. The City of Savannah’s Sustainability Department, grant partners, local leaders, program participants advisory board members and local media will be present for the ceremony.
Green Infrastructure to Green Jobs Grant, the name of the pilot-project being celebrated, will transform city-owned lots into tree nurseries, with an estimated growth of over 500 trees. The first three plots will be located on East Gwinnett, Mills B. Lane and Augusta Avenue.
Once mature, the trees will be moved to areas around the city that are prone to flooding to improve Savannah’s resistance to heavy rainfalls.
The project also offers a paid landscape management apprenticeship and includes a job placement program, providing useful skills for unemployed or underemployed people. While trainees develop these skills, they will also be working towards a UGA’s Georgia Certified Landscape Professional accreditation.
The organizations who partnered with Savannah’s Sustainability Department include Loop it Up Savannah, UGA’s Center for Urban Agriculture, WorkSource Coastal, The City of Savannah, UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant and the Savannah Tree Foundation.
The Green Ribbon Cutting is Wednesday, Feb. 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., beside the Savannah Entrepreneurial Center at 801 East Gwinnett Street. Music, local children’s art and food will be a part of the events. Community members are welcomed.
***Featured Image Credit: The Savannah Office of Sustainability***
