First-Ever Public Orchard Will Be Planted in a Chicago Park
Kilbourn Park First Site to Receive Fruit Orchard from the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation
Release Date: 10/17/08
For the first time ever in a large metropolitan city, the Chicago Park District and the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation will be planting a public fruit tree orchard at Kilbourn Park, 3501 N. Kilbourn Ave., on Saturday, October 18 from 9 to 11a.m.
“The Park District is excited and honored to be the recipient of a first-ever public fruit tree orchard planted in a large urban setting,” said Tim Mitchell, Chicago Park District Superintendent and CEO. “We would like to thank the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation for their generous donation.”
The Park District and the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) planted 24 high-quality, mature fruit trees that will produce apples, pears and plums, donated by Absolute Vodka. Certified arborists from the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation will be on hand to kick off the day’s events with a free, interactive fruit tree planting workshop to community residents from 9 to 11a.m. The Kilbourn Park fruit tree orchard will help improve air, soil, and water quality of the surrounding environment while providing park visitors with improved nutrition from fresh fruits.
The new fruit tree orchard at Kilbourn Park is part of the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation’s “ABSOLUT GLOBAL COOLING Zones” initiative sponsored by ABSOLUT, with similar efforts to follow in cities such as Fort Lauderdale, San Diego, New York, and in Orange County.
“FTPF is proud to collaborate with environmentally-conscious companies such as ABSOLUT to reduce global warming and improve environmental conditions across the country,” says Cem Akin, the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation’s Executive Director. “We are honored to work with the Chicago Park District on this groundbreaking orchard to benefit Kilbourn Park visitors on multiple levels.”
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation is a unique nonprofit charity dedicated to planting edible, fruitful trees and plants to benefit needy populations and improve the surrounding air, soil, and water. To learn more about all of FTPF’s programs, please visit www.ftpf.org.
- Contact Phone: 312 742 7529