HOUSTON—August 15, 2024 – Trees For Houston (TFH) announced today that thanks to a grant from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation, it is able to expand education efforts to help Houstonians and CenterPoint Energy customers learn about the importance of native species and proper care for their trees while encouraging planting the right tree in the right place to help prevent storm damage and power outages. This $200,000 grant is the largest comprehensive contribution to date to TFH.
“In the wake of Beryl, it is more important than ever that homeowners become educated about trees in and around urban infrastructure. Planting the right type of tree in the right location while following a reasonable maintenance schedule for your trees is a crucial component of protecting our trees and our homes,” said Trees For Houston’s executive director, Barry Ward. “Educating the public is less a luxury than an essential component in maintaining compatibility between trees and power lines.”
Funding will help Trees For Houston boost education programs, projects, and resources to help educate the community on not only the importance of planting native species and their maintenance but also to expand on CenterPoint’s Right Tree, Right Place program, which aims to guide consumers on how to plant trees that are safe from power lines to help reduce the number of outages caused by tree interference – especially after severe weather events.
For 18 years, Trees For Houston, the region’s leading non-profit dedicated to urban tree planting and educating the next generation on the importance of green space, has partnered with CenterPoint Energy. They’ve been instrumental in helping TFH preserve Houston’s urban canopy. Their contributions and collaborations, from our CenterPoint Right Tree, Right Place Tree Nursery to the Energy Saving Trees Program, further demonstrate their commitment to tree education and preservation. Their encouragement for our communities to engage in sustainable practices has made a significant impact on the community.
