A&N Electric Cooperative will host its annual Arbor Day and Member Appreciation event in April.

The cooperative will be giving away free seedlings and an assortment of shrubs to help celebrate Arbor Day in addition to a number of demonstrations.

The cooperative is again partnering with the Virginia Department of Forestry and the Eastern Shore Soil and Water Conservation District to distribute the tree and shrub seedlings on Saturday, April 29.
The event will be held at the cooperative’s Tasley headquarters.

“Our seedling giveaway was a huge success last year,” says Mark Belknap, director of vegetation and environmental management for the cooperative. “Our plan is to add some other elements to the giveaway to make it bigger and better each year.”

The seedlings will be given away from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until supplies last.

“The assortment of seedlings we plan to give away will help benefit native wildlife and pollinators,” says Belknap. “It’s also a great opportunity to learn about proper tree planting, like ‘Right Tree, Right Place’ and tree-based energy conservation.”

The free seedling giveaway is a portion of the cooperative’s right-of-way program which has achieved a Tree Line USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation for three consecutive years.

Tree Line USA, a partnership between the foundation and the National Association of State Foresters, recognizes public and private utilities for pursuing practices that protect and enhance America’s urban trees. Tree Line USA promotes the dual goals of delivering safe and reliable electricity while maintaining healthy community forests.

Check anec.com and the cooperative’s social media pages for more details.