PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach has launched Tree Yourself, an online tool that helps residents select and plant trees in their yard or parkway. The Office of Sustainability created the new web page as a one-stop resource for all things urban forest, including step-by-step instructions for planting and caring for young trees.

“Planting trees helps build our important tree canopy in Long Beach,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “By making it easier for residents to find the right tree for their yard, we can improve air quality, increase home values and create more shade that keeps us cooler during our hottest days.”

Residents can enter their preferences into the tree selection quiz to receive a list of suggestions for trees that might be a good fit for their yard or parkway. 

“We hope this campaign inspires residents to plant more trees,” said Sustainability Coordinator Larry Rich. “Trees provide so many benefits to our city when it comes to fighting climate change and its impacts like increased urban heat. Residents can make a huge impact if everyone who is able would plant one tree.”

The Office of Sustainability will continue the Fruit Tree and Street Tree Planting Programs to provide free trees to Long Beach residents. These programs ensure resources are available to grow the urban forest in all neighborhoods of Long Beach.

The launch of the new tool coincides with Clean Air Day, celebrated annually on the first Wednesday of October. California Clean Air Day is built on the idea that shared experiences unite people to action to improve our community health. Residents are encouraged to share photos of their newly-planted trees on social media using the #treeyourself hashtag.

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov.

About the Office of Sustainability
The City of Long Beach Office of Sustainability works to create a more sustainable community by engaging with individuals, neighborhoods and government to reduce our impact on the environment and protect our local natural resources. Our mission is to provide policies and programs that advance environmental stewardship, support local sustainability practices, and create a more livable and resilient Long Beach. Find more information at www.lbsustainability.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @lbsustainability.

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