Thanks to more than a dozen volunteers and the non-profit Community Greening, two dozen trees are now apart of the landscape surrounding the Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach. The ten feet tall trees are all native trees. The trees were chosen to be a perfect fit for the South Florida environment and grow quickly to provide some much needed shade for Club members while playing outside.

“Community Greening picks neighborhoods to plant our trees that need it the most. Not only will these trees beautify the area, but will also have long term positive impacts by reducing the heat island affect and provide a cool space for the Club children,” Said Matt Shipley of Community Greening. “These trees will also increase the biodiversity of the area and attract beneficial wildlife since they are native trees.”

Community Greening will water and monitor the trees for the next six months. Since these are native trees, they are expected to thrive on their own with little watering and maintenance needed in the future. The trees planted at the Club include crabwoods, pigeon plumbs, South Florida slash pines and silver buttonwoods.

“I want to thank Community Greening. By planting these trees in what is now a sunny open space means that in the future the children will have a shady space to play comfortably,” said John Backer, Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach board chairman. “It’s also nice to see the volunteers here to allow them to strengthen their connection to the Club and our mission.”

This is the second tree planting project near the Delray Beach Club for Community Greening. In 2017 the non-profit planted an urban orchard next to the Club to allow the community to harvest the fruit grown on the public land.