Ørsted and the Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH), a non-profit organization last week planted 20 trees at Collins Park in the New Castle area.
Ørsted also announced $10,000 in philanthropic support for DCH’s efforts to improve the environment through horticulture, education, and conservation programs.
“We’re honored to partner with Ørsted to help expand the tree canopy in Collins Park,” said Vikram Krishnamurthy, executive director of DCH. “This project is providing important ecological improvements to a park where tree canopy is limited, and as the trees mature, residents and visitors of the park will feel the positive impact of this planting for years to come. This collaboration with Ørsted shows our combined commitment to working to reduce environmental issues in Delaware and demonstrates how natural solutions can be implemented.”
“The Delaware Center for Horticulture’s work is vital to keeping communities like New Castle environmentally resilient for decades to come,” said Chris Bason, Ørsted’s Delaware stakeholder lead. “As a leader in the responsible development of clean energy, Ørsted values partnerships with organizations like DCH that share our belief that sustainability benefits both people and nature. That’s why we’ve committed to delivering a net-positive biodiversity impact from all new renewable energy projects we commission from 2030 at the latest.”
Situated in the Route 9 Corridor, Collins Park is adjacent to major roadways, making the neighborhood susceptible to littering, flooding, and air pollution. A release stated that urban tree canopies yield many benefits for people and nature, including reduced air pollution, cooler air temperatures, improved water filtration, and neighborhood beautification.
The tree planting will add a tree canopy cover around the parks’ recreational areas and improve the species and age diversity of the park’s trees. Past practices included planting few varieties of trees, leading the area being subject to diseases that would wipe out tree cover.
The wind power company is developing the Skipjack offshore wind project off the coasts of Maryland and Delaware. The project is likely to have powerlines from the wind turbines coming ashore in southern Delaware.
The project has drawn opposition from the mayor of Ocean City, MD, who fears damage to the city’s tourism industry as well as windpower skeptics and some in the commercial fishing industry. The debate has included unsubstantiated claims that the wind park would further endanger whale populations, despite evidence that many whales found washed up on beaches were struck by ships.
