Keep McAllen Beautiful has recently earned some new hardware for the City of McAllen from the Texas A&M Forest Service and the Texas Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture and Scenic Texas.

KMB received the 2023 Outstanding Community Forestry Program Award recognizing the organization as it’s award winner at the 43rd annual Texas Tree Conference in Waco. The Outstanding Community Forestry Award recognizes individuals, organizations or municipalities that have promoted community forestry through a program that significantly engages, educates or enhances the community.

Additionally, during the Texas Municipal League Conference in Dallas, there was a special awards ceremony from Scenic Texas Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to create a more beautiful Texas. McAllen was the recipient of a Platinum Certification as a Scenic City, the highest level attainable.

Finally, McAllen won the 2023 Scenic City People’s Choice Award for the entire state of Texas, receiving more public votes than any other community in the state.

The City of McAllen, certified as a Tree City USA since 2020, has undertaken numerous initiatives to expand, improve, maintain and educate residents regarding its tree canopy. Keep McAllen Beautiful board of directors and volunteers have worked alongside the City of McAllen Parks Department to help implement its urban forest initiative, which focuses on public spaces in and around the city to establish pocket forests.

During the upcoming annual Arbor Day Celebration, KMB will distribute over 1,000 native trees to help expand the urban canopy in the growing community. This year’s celebration takes place on Nov. 4 from 7:00 a.m. to noon at Westside Park, 1000 S. Ware Road.