Waukon Trees Forever honored with 2016 Partner Award ...

Waukon Trees Forever was one of the 2016 Partner Award winners honored at Trees Forever’s Annual Celebration and Awards Dinner at The Hotel at Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids Thursday, June 16. Trees Forever Program Manager Meredith Borchardt nominated the local group because of its long-term commitment to actively planting and caring for the trees in the Waukon community. “Some of its members have been involved for more than 20 years, and as a group, they have annually added trees to the community,” Borchardt said. Pictured above, left to right, are Tracy Peterson, Trees Forever’s Chair of the Board of Directors; Shannon Ramsay, Trees Forever’s CEO and Founding President; and Meredith Borchardt, Trees Forever Program Manager accepting the award on behalf of Waukon Trees Forever.

Thanks to the group’s efforts, the community has planted more than 3,200 trees throughout the Waukon community during the past two decades. Those trees have been planted along streets and at schools, entryways and parks, including the 75-acre Waukon City Park, where the members of the group have not only planted trees, but removed literally tons of invasive species. Waukon Trees Forever has participated in Black Hills Energy and Trees Forever’s Power of Trees program since 1992 and the Trees Forever-Alliant Energy Branching Out partnership since 2000. The group has involved many local partners in their efforts, including Boy and Girl Scouts, city staff, service clubs, students, and the Parks and Recreation Commission. For more information visit  www.treesforever.org or call 800-369-1269. Submitted photo.