FirstEnergy to Donate, Plant 700 Trees Across Mahoning Valley to Celebrate Earth and Arbor Days

AKRON, Ohio, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) will donate 300 trees to Mill Creek MetroParks in Mahoning County, Ohio, to celebrate Earth and Arbor days. A mixed variety of hardwood trees will be planted on Monday, April 25, by employees of FirstEnergy and its Ohio Edison electric company throughout the MetroParks' 402-acre farm in Canfield.

In addition to the trees that will be donated and planted at the Mill Creek MetroParks, FirstEnergy plans to donate 400 trees to the Poland Municipal Forest in Poland on Friday, April 28, to celebrate Arbor Day. The trees will be planted throughout the property by FirstEnergy employee volunteers next Friday and Saturday.

Since April 2021, FirstEnergy has donated and planted more than 40,000 trees throughout its six-state service territory. This initiative is an important part of the company's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, promote responsible use of natural resources and further the advancement of sustainable practices.

Led by FirstEnergy's Green Team in northeast Ohio, the Mill Creek MetroParks tree-planting event is one of several projects employees will complete this year to help nearby parks, nature preserves and communities across FirstEnergy's entire footprint.

"FirstEnergy contributed the funds to cover the cost of the trees, and more than a dozen employee volunteers will spend several hours planting them around the park on Monday, which will be enjoyed by the public and many of our local employees and their families," said Jessica Shaffer, environmental scientist and Green Team leader at FirstEnergy.  

FirstEnergy's 10 Green Teams consist of employees from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and West Virginia who volunteer their time and talents to support a wide variety of environmental initiatives. The groups plan to continue to partner with state park systems, watershed and recycling groups, garden clubs, schools and other environmentally focused organizations in the future to support FirstEnergy's commitment to building a brighter and more sustainable future.

This year's donation of trees to Mill Creek MetroParks complements FirstEnergy's donation of 600 trees planted at the MetroParks Farm and Collier Preserve over the past two years on Earth Day.

"These trees will help restore forested habitat within the park that we've lost over the years, and we look forward to monitoring the trees and helping them along as they mature," said Nick Derico, natural resources manager at Mill Creek MetroParks. "We appreciate FirstEnergy and Ohio Edison's ongoing commitment to preserving our local environment so that our trees and wildlife can continue to thrive for many years."

For more information about FirstEnergy's environmental and corporate responsibility efforts, please visit www.fecorporateresponsibility.com.

Ohio Edison serves more than one million customers across 34 Ohio counties. Follow Ohio Edison on Twitter @OhioEdison and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OhioEdison.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.

Editor's Note: Photos of FirstEnergy employees planting the trees at the Mill Creek MetroParks Farm last year available for download on Flickr. Video/B-Roll footage from the tree-planting 2022 event can be viewed and downloaded here.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.