25-WORD DESCRIPTION:
We Plant Nebraska for healthy people, vibrant communities, and a resilient environment. We do this through tree planting, garden making, education, and community building.
HOW WE USE YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS:
- $5 per month pays for a bucket full of garden supplies to go to communities and schools with new gardens. ($60)
- $10 per month pays for a school to receive a Bloom Box pollinator garden. ($120)
- $25 per month pays for an arborist to consult with a rural community's leaders about tree planting and care. ($300)
- $83 per month replaces 10 community trees removed due to disease. ($1000)
A STORY FROM OUR AGENCY:
Last fall, the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum (NSA) partnered with the South Omaha Business Improvement District organizers and local volunteers to spruce up dozens of planters along South 24th Street with drought-tolerant natives.
After Karen Pesek, director of finance at Pesek law and volunteer coordinator for the South Omaha Business Improvement District, saw a social media post about NSA Plant Grants, she contacted NSA Sustainable Landscape Specialist Sarah Buckley, who visited the neighborhood for a site visit. Together they created a plan to fill the planters with hardy, native perennials.
Previously the planters contained annuals, which struggled to thrive in the heat without ample watering. Planting the annuals every year was also expensive, while using native perennials that can tolerate Nebraska’s sizzling summer temperatures and lack of rainfall will be a much more efficient and cost-effective solution.
“This is a labor of love,” said Pesek. “We can see how this kind of natural beauty benefits the neighborhood. It makes people feel safer; it makes them feel secure. These plantings will add to the vibrant environment and flavor of the culture that is already here.”
Plant Grants are one of several NSA funding programs that enable public and private entities -- from large municipalities to small towns, neighborhood associations, schools, hospitals, parks and even local homeowners -- to create sustainable green spaces using native perennials.
ADDRESS/PHONE:
UNL Keim Hall 102
P.O. Box 830964
Lincoln, NE 68583-0964
402-472-2971
