Afton State Park got 25 new bur oak trees today, courtesy of the Minnesota Twins bullpen. The trees were the last of the 18,000 trees planted as a result of the Break a Bat, Plant a Tree partnership between the Twins and the Division of Parks and Trails at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). 

This is the second year of the partnership. Every time a Minnesota Twins pitcher breaks the bat of an opposing player, the DNR Division of Parks and Trails will plant 100 trees. During the 2010 regular season, Twins pitchers broke a total of 180 bats, which scored 18,000 trees for Minnesota state parks and trails.

Former Twins pitcher Jack Morris joined DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr for the tree-planting ceremony. Also on hand to help with the planting were Courtland Nelson, director of the DNR’s Division of Parks and Trails; Olin Phillips, section manager for the DNR’s Division of Forestry; Patrick Klinger, vice president of marketing for the Twins; elementary students from Academia Cesar Chavez in St. Paul; U.S. Forest Service mascot Smokey Bear and Twins mascot T.C. Bear.

“The Break a Bat, Plant a Tree partnership has been a big hit, and we’re grateful to the Twins for coming up with the idea,” said Nelson. “It adds an element of excitement to every at-bat, and our parks and trails benefit greatly.”

The bur oak trees being planted at Afton State Park were grown at the General Andrews State Forest Nursery. Bur oak trees, which are native to the area where they will be planted, can live for 200-300 years and may get to be 80 feet tall with trunks up to four feet wide.

In addition to Afton State Park, recipients of “Break a Bat” trees from the 2010 season included:

• Itasca State Park, where approximately 10,000 red and white pine trees were planted
• Lake Bemidji State Park, where approximately 7,300 spruce and red, white, and jack pine trees were planted
• Moose Lake State Park, where 200 tamarack trees were planted
• St. Croix State Park, where 500 red and bur oak were planted.

“The partnership is a natural fit,” said Klinger. “The DNR wants to get people outdoors, and now that we have a new outdoor ballpark, so do we. The state parks and trails contribute significantly to the quality of life we enjoy here in Minnesota, and we’re glad we can help draw some attention to that during the Twins season.”

So far this season, Twins pitchers have broken 21 bats, which means Minnesota state parks and trails are already up 2,100 trees in 2011. The Twins also donated to Minnesota state parks 10 of the 14 black spruce trees that were formerly behind the center field wall at Target Field. Those trees will be planted in early June, as soon as conditions permit.

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(L-R, Courtland Nelson, director, DNR Parks and Trails; Jakc Morris, former Twins pitcher; Tom Landwehr, DNR commissioner).

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(L-R, Smokey Bear, T.C. Bear).

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(Former Twins pitcher Jack Morris helps students plant a bur oak tree).

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(L-R, Smokey Bear and T.C. Bear help student plant a tree).