Holyoke Residents to Receive Free Trees at Greening the Gateway Cities Event

HOLYOKE — OneHolyoke CDC will host an event for the Holyoke community on Saturday, Oct. 14 in partnership with the Greening the Gateway Cities program to provide free trees for Holyoke residents. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at 2 Middle St., Holyoke, the site of OneHolyoke CDC’s eco-friendly ‘tiny home.’

Holyoke residents who own or rent a home, business, or other organization located in the Flats, downtown, or Churchill neighborhoods of Holyoke are encouraged to attend the event and sign up for free trees to be planted on their property by Greening the Gateway Cities, a program that has brought new trees to urban areas across Massachusetts.

The tree planting is the result of a grant from the Healey-Driscoll administration to OneHolyoke CDC, part of an overall $1.3 million state investment to support tree plantings in gateway cities across Massachusetts. Tree planting helps decrease energy use, clean the air, reduce flooding, and improve the overall quality of life in gateway cities. OneHolyoke will be responsible for sharing information about the program via door-to-door canvassing, educational events, and assisting with Spanish translation for outreach materials.

“OneHolyoke CDC has once again tapped into its neighborhood’s fundamental needs by investing in trees,” state Rep. Patricia Duffy said. “Trees add to our densely populated cities’ quality of life with shade, cooling, and beauty. I am so grateful for this work in my city.”

Those who are unable to make Saturday’s event and would like free trees planted on their property can visit maurbancanopy.org to determine eligibility (navigate to the ‘Am I in the Zone’ tab and enter your Holyoke address) or call (617) 626-1473.