HENDERSON (KTNV) — Despite Super Bowl LVIII being months away, the league already greatly impacts the Las Vegas community.
The National Football League, Las Vegas Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee, Arizona Super Bowl LVII Host Committee, the City of Henderson, and many other community partners planted 58 trees Tuesday in honor of the upcoming Super Bowl in February.
Today's efforts are the beginning of a dozen "green" initiatives the NFL hopes to accomplish in the months leading up to Super Bowl LVII.
"We team up with local partners who know the needs and follow their lead," said Susan Groh, Associate Director for NFL Green. "So trees have been a huge requested item here to provide shade and cooling and reduce that heat island effect."
The event took place at the Arroyo Grande Sports Complex in Henderson.
Following a ceremonial passing of the Golden Shovel from Super Bowl LVII to the Las Vegas Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee, members quickly worked together to put the trees in the ground.
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Low water usage desert trees were planted, including Chinese Pistache and Mondell Pine trees.
According to NFL Green, the trees will provide shade, beauty, and cooling at the sports complex.
NFL Green said it updated irrigation to low-flow emitters, which they said could help reduce water usage and contribute to Henderson’s overall conservation efforts.
"They are desert adaptive low water usage trees, so perfect for this environment," Groh said.
Meantime, volunteers who helped plant the trees said the project will have a positive, long-lasting impact on the community.
"The more trees they plant, the more it helps the environment. Here in the desert, by planting those trees, the roots get in the ground and make it more stable," said Tyrone Barfieod.
Additional Super Bowl LVIII greening projects are scheduled in the months leading up to the Super Bowl, including:
- Restoration of two acres of habitat at Warm Springs in partnership with the Southern Nevada Water Authority to improve wildlife habitat water quality and reduce flood impacts and wildfire risk.
- Addition of large fruit trees to the healing garden at Nevada’s only nonprofit hospice in partnership with the Nathan Adelson Hospice.
- Support the creation of the Ethnobotanical garden at Springs Preserve to educate on Tribal cultures indigenous to this region.
- Creation of a pollinator garden and planting of hundreds of native plants at Aliante Nature Discovery Park in partnership with Get Outdoors Nevada.
- The planting of 32 trees (one for each NFL team) at Silver Mesa Recreation Center in partnership with the City of North Las Vegas. A community seating area and sidewalk will be installed under the trees for all to enjoy the outdoors in the shade.
- The planting of 20 large trees and dozens of plants to provide shade, cooling and beauty at the Clark County Wetlands Park Nature Play Corner in partnership with Clark County Wetlands Parks.
- Tree planting and beautification of the grounds at the Las Vegas Indian Center.
- The planting of 100 drought-adapted trees around the sports fields at All American Park in partnership with the City of Las Vegas.
- A neighborhood tree giveaway and planting of trees at Cesar Chavez Park in partnership with Nevada Plants.
- Planting of climate-adapted shade trees and hundreds of plants and daffodil bulbs to create “Shade Tree Lane” and demonstrate the important role of shade trees in reducing the urban heat island effect in partnership with Springs Preserve.
- Removal of non-play turf, conversion to Xeriscape, and planting trees and plants at Sunrise Mountain High School in partnership with Clark County School District.
- They are revitalizing the community garden at the Obodo Collective in Las Vegas’ historic west side.
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