Mary Harrell
Portland General Electric will team up with Friends of Trees for a float for Saturday’s Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade.
The float’s theme – Right Tree, Right Place, Right On! – celebrates Friends of Trees’ “Plant It Portland!” campaign, a three-year project with a goal of planting 16,000 street trees in neighborhoods on the east side of the Willamette River.
Friends of Trees supporters will ride on the float, including north Portland resident Mary Harrell who has worked as the Friends of Trees office manager since 1995.
Harrell said the tree plantings improve both the look and health of communities.
“The trees we plant may be small, but they grow up and make a big difference,” she said.
The “Plant It Portland!” campaign helps change the city from grey to green by bringing awareness to the need for street trees. The message is delivered through both whimsical graphics and grassroots efforts, including: yard signs, door hangers and community outreach.
According to Friends of Trees, PGE and its employees have supported the organization since its inception 22 years ago, volunteering thousands of hours and supporting their several neighborhood plantings and watershed restoration projects.
