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APSU to serve as pickup location for 250k Tree Day on Feb. 23-24

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — The Austin Peay State University Grounds Department, in partnership with the APSU Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement and the City of Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department, is once again a distribution location for 250k Tree Day, the largest community-tree-planting event in Tennessee history, and the largest tree-planting event in the United States.

From Feb. 23-24, pre-registered Tennessee residents can pick up a free bundle of native tree seedlings to plant at their homes or businesses. Seed bundles can be picked up at Edith Pettus Park, 345 Farris Dr., on Friday, Feb. 23, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Feb. 24, from 9-11 a.m.

To pre-register, go to www.tectn.org/250ktreeday, and select “APSU” as your pickup location. Seedlings will be available to those who register before Feb. 1, while supplies last, and donations are encouraged to help cover the cost of the program.

“It’s important that people go ahead and register by the deadline, because we won’t physically have the seedlings until registration is closed and they know how many to give us,” Wes Powell, APSU assistant director of landscapes and grounds, said.

This will be Austin Peay’s third year as a pickup location for the event, which began in 2007 as a way to protect one of the state’s most important natural resources and has grown in scale each year.

“When we started doing this two years ago, the event was just 50k Tree Day, and it was 100k Tree Day,” Powell said. “This year, they put out the challenge to go big, and we’re excited to be a part of the event at Austin Peay.”

Depending on location, people will receive seedlings for trees native to their area. For those who register to pick up at APSU’s site, they will receive seedlings to plant persimmon, loblolly pine, redbud, red oak and tulip poplar trees.

“From the wood products we use, to the oxygen we breathe, trees provide benefits that can’t fully be measured,” Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Jai Templeton said. “Approximately half of our state is forested, and we are proud that Tennessee’s trees are known for diversity, quality and beauty. This program ensures that these natural assets will remain a hallmark of our state for generations to come. An investment in our forest is an investment in our future.”

For more information on 250k Tree Day, visit www.tectn.org/250ktreeday. For questions about APSU’s pickup location, contact Powell at powellw@apsu.edu or 931-221-7429.