FirstEnergy’s Mon Power Gives 1,500 Trees to Mountain State Forest Festival-Goers
View and download pictures of the trees and their recipients on Flickr
As the leaves begin to turn each October, hundreds of nature lovers gather in Elkins, West Virginia, for the Mountain State Forest Festival.
Among the crowd this year were FirstEnergy’s Mon Power employees, volunteering their time to hand out 1,500 free trees to attendees visiting the company’s booth.
So far this year, the company has planted nearly 20,000 trees across its West Virginia territory. Tree plantings and giveaways support FirstEnergy’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, promote the responsible use of natural resources and further the advancement of sustainable practices.
Mon Power’s Green Team members – a group of employees who volunteer their time and talents to support a wide variety of environmental initiatives – spent the day distributing a variety of tree saplings, including white oak, silver maple, serviceberry, nannyberry, silky dogwood, slippery elm, American plum and magnolia trees.
For more information about FirstEnergy's commitment to environmental initiatives, visit www.firstenergycorp.com/environmental.
“It was encouraging to see people genuinely excited as they walked away with their trees to plant in their local neighborhoods,” said Todd Riggleman, a forestry services manager at Mon Power. “We love to use our table at the Mountain State Forest Festival to educate people on the critical role that natural resources like trees play in West Virginia's environment.”
As one of West Virginia’s largest festivals, the Mountain Sate Forest Festival is a great place to do such a large tree giveaway. This year marks the second that Mon Power has participated in the festival, donating trees for attendees to take home and plant in their community.
In addition to the tree giveaway, FirstEnergy, the parent company of Mon Power, donated $2,000 to the Mountain State Forest Festival this year. Mon Power also made an in-kind donation valued at nearly $9,000 by providing crews, trucks and equipment to set up logs for the festival's annual Lumberjack Contest at Davis & Elkins College.
“Attendees truly appreciate FirstEnergy and Mon Power's commitment to our community and preserving our local environment so that our trees and wildlife can continue to thrive for many years. It’s a rewarding feeling,” said Riggleman.
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