Score! A Different Kind of MVP

Thanks to a Super Bowl LVII Community Greening Grant, we’ve planted several native trees and shrubs along the Phoenix Zoo’s Africa Trail. These MVPs (Most Valuable Plants) provide food and shelter for native wildlife, including pollinators, and eventually will help shade this path.

You can team up with MVPs in your community too!

One of the ways we can all help plants and animals where they live is by being a habitat helper. Habitat helpers choose native or locally adapted trees and plants when landscaping or gardening, providing safe food sources and hiding spots for wildlife. Habitat helpers also protect pollinators in their communities by not using insecticides or herbicides to control pests and weeds. Planting native and desert-adapted plants also saves on water and fertilizer costs. Healthy pollinators are part of a healthy ecosystem, which benefits all of us.

Planting native and desert-adaptive trees also helps provide shade and reduce temperatures, which is good for all living things in our communities.

The APS Community Tree Program website is a great resource for communities in the APS service territory and includes information about grants that support tree planting.

SRP customers can sign up to participate in shade tree workshops and receive free desert-friendly tree saplings to help cool homes and other buildings in their neighborhoods.

For additional information about how you can team up with Most Valuable Plants to help pollinators and provide much-needed shade, here are some great resources to explore:

Desert Tree Planting Guide

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Maricopa County gardening resources

Planting for Monarchs in Phoenix – Desert Botanical Garden

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder

Thanks to NFL Green, Verizon, APS and the Super Bowl LVII Host Committee for their support for healthy habitats for pollinators and the people who depend on them.