Vancouver — Friends of Trees, the Portland-based nonprofit agency that’s contributed to a widespread greening of the area through volunteer tree plantings, presented the city of Vancouver with a leadership award at a luncheon on May 19.
Charles Ray, Vancouver’s urban forester, accepted the Friends of Trees’ 2011 Community Partner Award. Vancouver’s intensive work with Friends of Trees has seen hundreds of new trees go into public and private spaces in Vancouver neighborhoods in recent years. Ray himself was named the 2010 Pacific Northwest International Society of Arboriculture Municipal Arborist of the Year.
Ray urged Friends of Trees and its supporters to “keep up the good work.” Friends of Trees also presented leadership awards to New Seasons Market and Josephine Pope, a longtime Portland supporter.
Friends of Trees planted more than 28,000 trees and native plants during the 2010-11 planting season, which ended last month. Since 1989, the nonprofit has planted more than 415,000 trees and native plants in the Portland-Vancouver metro area. To learn more, visit Friends of Trees’ website.
