RNeighborWoods Receives National Award From the Arbor Day Foundation

Nebraska City, Neb. (April 24, 2012) – RNeighborWoods is the recipient of a 2012 Arbor Day Award in honor of its outstanding contribution to tree planting, conservation and stewardship, the Arbor Day Foundation announced today.

The Rochester, Minnesota-based RNeighborWoods is one of 16 individuals and organizations being recognized by the Foundation at the annual Arbor Day Awards. The ceremony will be held at Lied Lodge & Conference Center, located at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, Nebraska, on Saturday, April 28.

RNeighborWoods will receive an Excellence in Volunteer Management Award in recognition of its outstanding efforts to mobilize and engage volunteers in tree planting and care within their community.

Since 2004, RNeighborWoods has recruited volunteers and worked with partners and city officials throughout Rochester to plant and maintain community trees. The group, governed by a volunteer committee with insight from each partner, has planted 3,535 boulevard trees, with the help of thousands of community members. Volunteers have dedicated more than 9,000 hours of their time in total to planting trees in Rochester.

“The work of RNeighborWoods is an example of a true positive feedback loop,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Active and engaged citizens work together to improve their community, which in turn engages even more people.”

Since 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has recognized the inspiring and life-changing work of leading environmental stewards and tree planters through the annual Arbor Day Awards.

Award winners from previous years include the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, veteran newsman Bill Kurtis, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Mary Kay, Inc. This year, in addition to honoring Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley with a Vision Award, A Legacy of Partnership Award will be presented to the United States Forest Service.

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About the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization of one million members, with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org, or by visiting us on Facebook, Twitter or our blog.

For more information, contact:

Sean Barry, 402-473-9563

sbarry@arborday.org

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