Keep America Beautiful and The UPS Foundation today announced the recipients of its 8th annual round of Keep America Beautiful/UPS Community Tree and Recovery Tree Planting Grants including Philly’s own Keep Philadelphia Beautiful in the amount of $5,000.

More than 30 grants, totaling $160,000, are being awarded to Keep America Beautiful community-based affiliates throughout the country.

Keep Philadelphia Beautiful will partner with TreePhilly, a project of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and Fairmount Park Conservancy to provide more than 100 trees to residents in Northeast Philadelphia, a section of the city whose tree canopy was disproportionately affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Solidifying the partnership, local UPS employees will provide volunteer support to plant the trees in addition to the grant funding.

“We’re excited to get started on this project, and know it will make a tangible, positive impact,” said Michelle Feldman, Director of Keep Philadelphia Beautiful.

The program has several goals:

• sequester levels of carbon dioxide through strategic plantings;
• emphasize the importance of native tree planting;
• produce fruit from fruit trees for local consumption; and
• plant trees that will have a greater likelihood of withstanding natural disasters in communities that have lost a significant number of trees because of a recent natural disaster.

A part of UPS’s Global Forestry Initiative, these grants are continuing goal to protect and preserve trees around the world. UPS has surpassed the company’s 2014 tree planting goals, planting more than 1.7 million trees during that year. Since 2012, The UPS Foundation and UPS employees have planted more than 3 million trees across 47 countries to support the environment.

“Keep America Beautiful is proud to be part of The UPS Foundation’s global effort to restore and stabilize the tree canopy in areas hit by natural disasters,” said Jennifer Jehn, president and CEO, Keep America Beautiful. “Our community-based affiliates are poised to take action in this effort as native trees are such a vital part of making our neighborhoods greener, healthier, safer and more beautiful places to live.”

The UPS Foundation also has supported Keep America Beautiful’s Vision for America Award, which is presented annually to distinguished leaders whose personal and corporate commitments have significantly enhanced civic, environmental and social stewardship throughout the U.S.

Image via Flickr User InSapphoWeTrust