Park Ridge schools receive nine new trees

Thanks to a donation from Lurvey Landscape Supply and Garden Center in Des Plaines, Park Ridge schools are receiving nine new trees in the weeks following Arbor Day celebrated on April 23.

The first of these were two River Birch, planted May 4 in a ceremony at Field School in Park Ridge. The trees are part of an overall landscape plan developed for the school and donated by Lurvey's, in partnership with the PTO.

The ceremony was planned by fourth and fifth grade Green Teams, according to Assistant Principal Katie Kelly. It included a ribbon cutting and, she added, "several students read poems about trees, which they wrote to commemorate Arbor Day and Poetry Month, which is also during April."

Seven additional schools in the district will each receive a red oak.

The trees were selected by Lurvey's and the planting were donated by Lurvey's partner, C. Finney Landscape Group.

Red oak and river birch are native to Illinois and were selected because of their suitability to the Midwest climate, and the locations in which they will be planted.

"Trees provide shade and obvious beauty to the community, but they do so much more," said Jean Bragdon, manager of the Garden Center at Lurvey's. "They clean the air, absorb water, and make the neighborhood quieter by absorbing sound. They also provide a habitat for birds and other small wildlife.

"We want the students and everyone who works in our local schools to enjoy these benefits. We're always happy to contribute to a greener environment in our own back yard," Bragdon added.

Lurvey's is a full service landscape supplier, offering a retail garden center, wholesale landscape supply center, and turf nursery. They are located at 9550 E. Dempster in Des Plaines, with wholesale sites in Volo and Whitewater, Wis.