MINOT, ND (KXNET) — Trees certainly provide a number of benefits around town, including shade, shelter from the wind, and oxygen.

And people in Minot were rolling up their sleeves today to do some tree planting.

On Thursday, 1,000 Trees for Minot, the Hess Corporation, and the Minot Park District teamed up to plant trees in Northwest Minot.

Bringing more trees to the area not only beautifies the community but also offers other benefits.

“They welcome wildlife into our community whether it’s birds, squirrels, or small animals. They improve property values when individuals plant them on their own properties. And then they also have some public benefits. They get us walking more, they slow down when we have really heavy rainstorms. They slow down stormwater,” said Tim Baumann, a co-organizer of 1,000 Trees for Minot.

“One of our missions is to be the most trusted energy partner in the communities, where we live and work, and to create a positive long-lasting impact within those communities. And one of the ways we can do that is through partnering with conservation partners, like 1,000 Trees,” said Brent Lohnes, the North Dakota General Manager for the Hess Corporation.

To date, more than 700 trees have been planted.

The goal is to plant 1,000 trees by the fall of 2026.