Keep Ohio Beautiful Celebrated Arbor Day in Ohio with ODNR at Great Ohio Planting Day

MT. GILEAD, OH – Keep Ohio Beautiful hosted its annual Great Ohio Planting Day, to celebrate Arbor Day in Ohio, on Friday, April 28, at Mt. Gilead State Park’s campground. A variety of native Ohio hardwoods were planted around the park’s campground sites to replace the existing red pines.

Keep Ohio Beautiful (KOB) and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) worked together with Columbia Gas of Ohio and NiSource volunteers to beautify and enhance the campground and playground at Mt. Gilead State Park by planting 25 large native trees in honor of Arbor Day. Funding for the project was awarded to KOB through the Columbia Gas Charitable Fund.

“Columbia Gas pleased to continue its partnership with ODNR and KOB this Arbor Day,” said Kristy Monk, Keep Ohio Beautiful board member and NiSource employee. “This partnership supports our mission of environmental stewardship while enhancing the visitor’s experience at Mt. Gilead State Park.”

“Adding healthy, native trees to our state parks restores shade and wildlife habitat,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “Visitors to Alum Creek and other parks will enjoy the legacy of our partners, Keep Ohio Beautiful and Columbia Gas, for generations to come.”

Each year, Keep Ohio Beautiful celebrates Great Ohio Planting Day on Arbor Day to provide a hands-on educational program, which demonstrates how to properly prepare a planting site, plant, and care for a tree. In past years, KOB volunteers have planted more than 100 native trees at Alum Creek, Deer Creek, East Fork and Mohican state parks.

As a state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Keep Ohio Beautiful serves as Ohio’s umbrella organization for more than 40 local affiliate organizations in numerous Ohio communities. By providing a strong support system and the sharing of best practices, Keep Ohio Beautiful enables volunteers in communities throughout Ohio to improve waste handling practices, litter prevention, recycling, beautification and community greening efforts. For more information, visit keepohiobeautiful.org.

ODNR ensures a wise balance between the use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.