The week before Memorial Day, workers with the City of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, were busy preparing Oak Hill Cemetery for visitors. Because of the size of the property—more than 33 acres—it requires a lot of time. Those who do the work take great pride in it.

We partner with the Arbor Day Foundation each April to provide free trees to customers in celebration of Earth Month. This year, the program ended with 19 extra trees in eastern Nebraska. Mary, community affairs manager, reached out to a local chamber of commerce executive who knew the city would appreciate the donation. After a conversation with Plattsmouth’s city administrator, it was clear the trees would have an immediate home at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Many mature trees provide shade on the grounds, but there are areas around the perimeter of the property that could benefit from the littleleaf linden and swamp white oak trees donated by Black Hills Energy. The Arbor Day Foundation has its own farm but also works with growers to provide trees—like these two low-maintenance varieties—which will thrive based on the conditions.

Since city workers didn’t have much time to spare because of Memorial Day preparations, Operations Technician Jason, who serves Plattsmouth and surrounding communities, made sure the one-gallon trees were unloaded, unboxed, organized and ready for the city to plant the following week.

Black Hills Energy has proudly served Plattsmouth, which is about 20 miles south of Omaha, since 1930.

We partner with our communities and customers, providing the kind of energy that fuels those areas and the lives of those we serve. Feel free to share the stories and photos. Make sure to tag us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.