Discover Presque Isle: Plant it Forward Awards

Mercyhurst University will receive the University Leadership Award for its Tiny Forest Initiative.

During Discover Presque Isle, Plant it Forward Urban Forest Community Initiative, in partnership with Sierra Club, Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier (LEAF) and its ReLEAF Initiative, will honor four recipients of the Outstanding Environmental Steward Award. The presentation will occur on Saturday, July 26 at 2 p.m. at Beach 11. 

The Plant it Forward initiative was founded by the Butterflies for Kids – Address Earth Kids Program and is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The program was created to address the climate crisis through reforestation and community tree planting. One of the main goals of the initiative is to have all townships and cities implement green ordinances for trees on all streets and parking lots. This action would help cool the city streets. 

The four awards honor University Leadership, Business Sustainability, Citizen Action, and Nonprofit Leadership. 

The University Leadership award will be presented to Mercyhurst University's Dr. Chris Dolanc for their Tiny Forest Initiative. In 2021, Mercyhurst University and ReLEAF planted one of Pennsylvania's first "tiny forests." The tiny forest is a living classroom led by Dr. Dolanc contains 640 native trees in just 200 square meters of space.

Kronospan USA's will receive the Business Sustainability award for their GROW Program in Clarion County, which has a goal to plant 1 million trees. They are close to approaching their goal, as they have already planted 879,000 trees.

The Citizen Action award will be presented to Professional Landscape Architect Alex Luddy. He contributed to urban canopy expansion through LEAF, TREC, and local planting efforts in Frontier Park.

Lastly, the Benedictine Sisters of Erie will receive the Nonprofit Leadership award. They have planted 400 native trees at their Glinodo property as part of the ReLEAF initiative and use regenerative practices such as goat grazing to manage invasive species. 

See the recipients accept their awards at Discover Presque Isle and support those in our community who are working to create a healthier environment for everyone. 

July 26 // 2 p.m. // Beach 11 on Presque Isle // https://www.discoverpi.com/events/dpi