Village of Hawthorn Woods Earns Mark of Distinction in Receiving
Tree City USA Growth Award from Arbor Day Foundation
The Village of Hawthorn Woods is proud to receive the Tree City USA Growth Award by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to effective urban forest management.
A Growth Award is bestowed upon a community alongside their Tree City USA recognition for demonstrating environmental improvement and a higher level of tree care. The Growth Award recognizes major milestones and annual activities in five different categories on a point-based system to build sustainable community forestry programs over the long term, such as: building a team, measuring trees and forests, planning the work, performing the work, and building the community framework.
Only a small percentage of Tree City USA participants ultimately earn the Growth Award Honor due to a continued dedication towards building a sustainable community. “Hawthorn Woods is proud to elevate our Tree City USA status to earn this new environmental award. We are committed to growing our municipal forest and hope all will join us in this regional effort,” stated Mayor Dominick DiMaggio.
Tree City USA is a national recognition program founded in 1976 by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.
"Tree City USA communities can experience the positive effects that an urban tree canopy has year after year," said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. "The trees being planted and cared for by Hawthorn Woods are ensuring that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life. Additionally, participation in this program helps cultivate a sense of stewardship and pride for the trees the community plants and cares for."
With the additional recognition of a Growth Award, Hawthorn Woods has demonstrated their expediency towards building a framework for sustainable urban forest management. Urban tree plantings help reduce energy consumption by up to 25%, which will reduce general energy costs and help with the overall cooling of the city, as well. In addition, members of the community benefit from properly placed trees, as they increase property values from 7-20%. Trees also positively affect the local ecosystem by helping to clean water and create animal habitats to encourage biodiversity.
More information about the program is available at https://www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa/growth-award/.
ABOUT THE VILLAGE OF HAWTHORN WOODS
In 1958, Hawthorn Woods became Lake County’s 31st municipality and distinguished itself as an upscale, friendly community that placed a high value on the protection of natural resources. Hawthorn Woods is recognized for its beautiful open spaces and park amenities as well as great schools, friendly business districts, and professional services. A full-service Administration Department, Community Development Department, Finance Department, Parks and Recreation Department, Police Department, and Public Works Department all work together to provide excellence in service to the citizens, visitors, and business community of Hawthorn Woods. For more information, visit vhw.org.
# # #
Kim Stewart
Communications Specialist
Village of Hawthorn Woods
2 Lagoon Drive
Hawthorn Woods, IL 60047
847.847.3514
Alerts Sign-up