RICHMOND, Va., April 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of elementary school students across Virginia will get their hands dirty while learning about clean air when they celebrate Arbor Day on Friday, April 26 by planting trees provided by Project Plant It!, Dominion's environmental education program.

Project Plant It! connects thousands of elementary school students to the environment in a fun and interactive way with hands-on lessons and activities. The program is funded by Dominion Resources, parent company of Dominion Virginia Power, and is aligned with state learning standards and supported by the national Arbor Day Foundation and the Virginia Department of Forestry.

"Dominion designed this program to provide a meaningful outdoor learning experience for children in the communities served by our company," said Virginia M. Board, managing director-Community Affairs and president of The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion. "Every student enrolled in Project Plant It! can make a personal contribution to the environment."

The cornerstone of the program is the distribution of a free tree seedling to each participating student to plant on Arbor Day. More than 33,000 students in Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut and New York will receive a redbud seedling in a recyclable container with instructions for indoor and outdoor planting.

The redbud produces spectacular spring blossoms and its seeds provide winter food for birds. It can be used for nesting sites and nesting materials and provides shelter for birds and mammals alike. The redbud provides good shade when planted near patios and is an excellent tree for planting near utility lines.

Dominion will be involved in several tree planting ceremonies across the state to help students celebrate Arbor Day, including the following locations:

• Coeburn Primary School, Wise County
• St. Paul Elementary School, Wise County
• Castlewood Elementary School, Russell County
• Lee Memorial Park, Petersburg
• Goochland Elementary School, Goochland County
• West Gate Elementary School, Prince William County
• Oak Hill Elementary School, Fairfax
• Johnson Elementary School, Charlottesville

Through online, classroom and outdoor activities, Project Plant It! teaches students about benefits of trees to our ecosystem, such as providing shade and oxygen, sheltering birds, insects and animals, and preventing soil erosion. Dominion provides the program at no cost to schools within its service areas. For more information, visit www.projectplantit.com or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Plant-It/144464460231?fref=ts .

Dominion (NYSE: D) is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,500 megawatts of generation. Dominion operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems and serves retail energy customers in 15 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.

Save time, energy and postage by enrolling in Dominion's eBill paperless billing program at: https://www.dom.com/find-it-fast/payment-options/paperless-billing.jsp  

SOURCE Dominion