May is Project EverGreen Month in Akron

The City of Akron proclaimed the month of May to be "Project EverGreen Month." May 1 marks the official start of the national non-profit organization's public education program in Akron to inspire citizens, businesses and developers to increase the number of well-maintained green spaces throughout Akron. This includes home lawns/landscapes, community spaces, commercial areas, golf courses, sports fields and other green spaces.

Akron is the first city selected for Project EverGreen's "EverGreen Zone" initiative. The purpose of the EverGreen Zone program is to raise public awareness about the benefits of expanding, preserving, and maintaining green spaces that positively impact climate change and create countless economic, environmental and lifestyle benefits. Project EverGreen's plan is to create 15 to 20 EverGreen Zones across the country in the next several years.

Thanks to sponsorship by Clear Channel Communication and Metro RTA, billboards and bus signs promoting the benefits of green spaces will appear beginning May 1 throughout the city.

Akron FFA students are also championing the city's green spaces at the Cherry Blossom Festival, Farmer's Market and other local events, where they will be passing out literature, seed packets and gardening gloves. The FFA students will place hundreds of yard signs and posters in public and private green spaces all over Akron.

Project EverGreen is teaming up with the Boys & Girls Club of the Western Reserve and the Western Reserve School & Academy for the first annual Art of Green Spaces Competition. The competition's goal is to encourage young people to create visual art, vocal and instrumental music and dance and drama exhibits demonstrating why they believe green spaces are important to Akron. Winners of the competition will have their work recognized at an awards ceremony and displayed in prominent public locations.

The public education program culminates in August with the massive renovation of a blighted public green space. Together with the City of Akron, Project EverGreen and its sponsors will completely overhaul the landscaping behind Canal Park.

To learn more about Project EverGreen visit www.projectevergreen.com/akron or call 877/758-4835.