Unitil’s second annual energy saving tree raffle community event will be held in conjunction with the Lakeview Nursery’s spring season kickoff on Saturday, April 30 at 308 Electric Avenue in Lunenburg.
As part of the event, Unitil arborists will present expert advice on the best trees to plant as well as coloring book giveaways for children. Approximately 15 trees will be raffled off to Unitil customers for planting. Raffle winners will be able to use mapping software onsite to aid in determining the location on their property where, if planted, the tree would provide maximum energy savings.
Prior to the event, a small number of free trees are claimable prior to the raffle as part of the Energy Saving Trees initiative. Interested Unitil customers should log on to www.arborday.org to claim these trees, which will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.
“Knowing the right tree to plant in the right place on your property can not only improve the visual appeal of your home, but also provide real energy savings,” Unitil System Arborist Sara Sankowich, system arborist. “We invite local residents to come out and celebrate Arbor Day with us down at the nursery.”
In addition, Lakeview has a number of events of its own planned, including cooking from the garden demonstrations, information of the importance of saving pollinators, and tours of the nursery’s recently relocated greenhouse range.
Homeowners who had trees removed through Unitil’s Storm Resiliency Program and were promised replacement trees can pick up trees during the event. Sankowich said affected homeowners will be notified ahead of time and they may select their tree online prior to pick up. They can also select their ideal planting location online, following the recommended guidelines for energy efficiency and line safety.
The Unitil giveaway will run from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the nursery, though Lakeview events will continue until 3 p.m.
