The University of Georgia Extension Office hosted the second annual pollinator tree giveaway event on February 21, 2025. The event, which included 72 participants, provided free trees while sharing important safety information regarding utility safety. This year, one catalpa tree seedling per person was available at the giveaway. The catalpa tree is a medium-sized tree that is the host plant for the catalpa moth and provides ornamental flowers for other pollinators.
Kim Toal, County Extension Coordinator and ANR Agent, partnered with Matt Bergen, Utility Manager at Fayette County Environmental Management, to promote the “811 Call Before You Dig” initiative.
The collaboration aimed to raise awareness about the importance of contacting 811 before starting any digging projects to prevent accidental damage to underground utilities. Matt Bergen expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to participate.
“I really appreciate Kim and her staff allowing me the opportunity to attend this event. Approximately 10% of the participants were unaware of the 811 service. This is our target audience in our efforts to reduce damages to utilities,” he said.
“This was a great opportunity to provide a tree to increase pollinator awareness to our county citizens. Ensuring a safe planting day in regards to underground utilities is essential and I appreciate Matt providing available resources,” Toal said.
The event was well-received, with participants not only receiving trees but also gaining valuable knowledge on how to protect their homes and the community by using the 811 service before digging.
For more information, please contact the University of Georgia Extension Office or Fayette County Environmental Management at fayettecountyga.gov
