CLARKSVILLE, TN – Ahead of Arbor Day, Reynolds American Inc. employees worked together to plant 7,500 trees on 5 acres of grounds at the ASC Clarksville facility on Guthrie Highway.
All of the facility’s 130 team members had an opportunity to participate in the planting activities during the multi-day project, led by the ASC Clarksville ESG and Sustainability teams.
“Through our research, we knew that we wanted to plant trees with long lifespans and deep roots that will last far beyond our lifetime and be a valuable part of the ecology here in Clarksville. We also wanted to ensure that we promote a diverse forest ecosystem on the property and avoid the monoculture that frequently occurs in new-growth forests,” said Amy Fehrenbach, a scientist at ASC Clarksville, who also helped organize the project.
The group planted a wide variety of mixed hardwood species on a 5-acre section of the property, including Oak, Ash, Poplar and some fast-growing pine species, to protect the young hardwoods from the wind, and add even more biological diversity to the forest.
The Clarksville team hopes this month’s planting creates a thriving forest ecosystem that will serve as erosion control and support future ESG initiatives such as habitats for bees, an employee garden and composting initiatives.