Honorary 'Millionth' Tree planted at Smart Intermediate School
Alcoa announced that the corporation's One Million Trees initiative ended one phase and will now begin another. Today, Alcoa CEO and Chairman Alain Belda planted the one-millionth tree of the world-wide program in Brazil and announced another tree initiative.
In conjunction with that effort, Alcoans, lawmakers, educators and students planted Davenport’s symbolic "one millionth tree" at Smart Intermediate School in Davenport.
One Million Trees is a global effort integrated with Alcoa's commitment to sustainable development and environmental initiatives. The program "took root" in April of 1998, with a goal to plant one million trees by 2008. Alcoa was able to achieve its goal in only five years.
Alcoa Davenport employees fully embraced the concept of "One Million Trees." As part of the celebration recognizing 50 years of manufacturing at our facility, employees and retirees were given a tree to mark the occasion. More than 5,000 trees were planted that year.
Then came partnerships with Greenway Habitat; local schools, such as Riverdale in Port Byron, Illinois; Pleasant Valley Junior High; Bettendorf High School; and tree reforestation efforts with Living Lands and Water, the group headed by Chad Pregracke. Several hundred more trees have been added to the list with those efforts.
During the ceremony in Davenport, Director of Manufacturing Mark Vrablec reiterated Mr. Belda’s message that it is Alcoa's plan to continue with its tree planting efforts and begin the "Ten Million Trees" program. The goal is to have Alcoans around the world plant 10 million trees by the year 2020. This melds the company's goals for measuring progress toward achieving its 2020 strategic plan for cleaner air, better use of land and water, and the protection of human health, with community and employee involvement.
"Alcoa Davenport will once again play a major role in helping to achieve that initiative," said Vrablec.
The tree planting also recognized Alcoa Davenport's new partnership with Smart Intermediate School and the formation of its Environmental Academy, which is designed to expose children throughout the Davenport Intermediate school system to environmental learnings.
Thanks to a gift of $10,000 from Alcoa Davenport, which will be split into two $5,000 yearly grants, Smart will be able to construct a nature learning center. It will allow the children to conduct environmental experiments and gain a better appreciation for protecting the communities where we live.
"We just couldn't have realized this dream without the help of Alcoa," said Shaney Shewry, a Smart Intermediate teacher and key coordinator of the Environmental Academy. "Thanks to all of the employees and the company for making this happen."
|
 |
To the left, John Border, Davenport Schools, Wayne Jochmann, Alcoa environmental engineer, and students from the Smart Environmental Academy plant Davenport’s ceremonial "One Millionth Tree."
Ten Million Trees
Learn how Davenport is contributing to Alcoa's goal of planting ten million trees by 2020.
 go
|
|
