Great Ohio Planting Day

Keep Ohio Beautiful hosts its annual Great Ohio Planting Day, to celebrate Arbor Day in Ohio, on the last Friday of April at one of Ohio’s State Parks. A variety of native Ohio hardwoods and evergreens are planted around the park’s to replace those trees affected by the emerald ash borer.

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 parks by planting large native trees in honor of Arbor Day. Funding for the project has been awarded to KOB through the Columbia Gas Charitable Fund.

“Columbia Gas is 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 Ohio State Parks.”

“Adding healthy, native trees to our state parks restores shade and wildlife habitat,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “Visitors to our state 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 250+ native trees at Alum Creek, Deer Creek, East Fork, Mt. Gilead and Mohican state parks.