On May 16 and 17, OUC joined forces with our long-time sponsorship of the City of Orlando’s One Person One Tree initiative. This program, launched by Mayor Buddy Dyer, offers Orlando residents free trees to plant on their property, aiming to boost the city’s tree canopy to 40% by 2040.

Trees are environmental powerhouses, offering shade on hot summer days, producing oxygen, and purifying our air by absorbing pollutants and sequestering carbon dioxide. Trees also combat flooding and improve water quality by filtering rainwater through their roots. Imagine the cost if humans had to engineer technology to replicate these environmental benefits—trees are truly TREEmendous!

In partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, the City of Orlando coordinates this tree giveaway as part of the nationwide Energy Saving Trees program. This initiative helps municipalities and utilities, including OUC, distribute trees to homeowners to enhance environmental benefits. Properly placed trees can reduce energy consumption, clean the air, filter stormwater, and sequester carbon, making us better climate action champions.

The Arbor Day Foundation supports us throughout the process, from finding local suppliers to recommending trees suitable for Central Florida. They assist with the city’s online tree reservation system, allowing residents to reserve their free trees before the pickup days. Over the next three days, residents will collect their trees, ready to plant and contribute to a greener Orlando.

At OUC, we promoted the “Right Tree, Right Place” principles, supported with the distribution of free posters and customer education on the best tree planting practices to maximize benefits while ensuring safety around utility lines and transformers.

For maximum benefits, plant deciduous trees (trees that lose leaves in winter) on the east side of your home to provide morning shade and on the west side for afternoon shade. This shading is crucial during Florida’s hot summer months that run from June to September. Shade trees over patios, driveways, and air conditioning units can also help keep your home cooler. In winter, these trees shed their leaves, allowing sunlight to warm your house. Avoid planting evergreen trees on the south side of your home, as they can block winter sunlight.

OUC has been a Tree Line USA utility for over 25 years, committed to educating about the “Right Tree, Right Place” concept. The One Person One Tree program exemplifies our partnership with community stakeholders to educate customers, increase canopy coverage, and enhance the environmental benefits for our community.

Join us in making Orlando greener and more sustainable. Plant a tree today and contribute to a brighter, healthier future for all.

Visit the City of Orlando’s online tree reservation system and learn how to request a street tree or an energy-saving tree. Together, let’s make a lasting impact on our community and environment.