Tucson Electric Power is giving away hundreds of free shade trees at springtime community events as part of the Trees for You program.
Also, TEP will donate 125 trees to Tucson-area schools on Arbor Day as part of the company’s 125th anniversary celebration.
TEP offers discounted trees to customers through the Trees for You program to increase the community’s supply of trees, which help customers save energy by shading buildings, streets and cars.
At the Edible Shade Mesquite Pancake Breakfast on March 26, free shade trees were given to the first 100 guests who brought their TEP bills.
Upcoming shade tree events include:
- April 7-9: SAHBA 2017 Home & Patio Show at the Tucson Convention Center
- April 8: Tucson Botanical Gardens Ultimate Home and Garden Tour in Tucson
- April 22: Tucson Earth Day Festival at the Children’s Museum Tucson
In addition to the community events, TEP will deliver free trees to schools in Tucson-area districts for Arbor Day on April 28. The schools will receive Chinese elm and netleaf hackberry trees, which are drought resistant and thornless, to provide shade and energy savings on their campuses.
The school donation is among several community service and volunteer projects that TEP is spearheading for its 125th anniversary this year.
“It’s an exciting way to celebrate TEP’s 125th anniversary and educate our youth about the importance of creating a canopy in the community,” said Nikole White, Program Manager of Energy Services who oversees the Trees for You program. “It inspires students to be environmental stewards as they experience the beneficial impact these beautiful learning resources have on their schools.”
Also this spring, two new varieties of trees will be available for seasonal planting through the Trees for You program: Texas ebony and Arizona rosewood. Trees that continue to be available include shoestring acacia, bottle tree and Chilean mesquite. See pictures and find out more about the available trees.
Through TEP’s program, customers can buy up to three, five-gallon trees per year for $5 each.
In 2016, TEP distributed nearly 12,000 trees to help expand Tucson’s tree canopy.
