It’s a green thumbs up for Bloom, the biosolids brainchild of DC Water. The eco-friendly soil enhancer snagged the 2024 Canopy Award for Sustainability from Casey Trees, a DC nonprofit determined to preserve the area's leafy overhead, as announced in a statement on DC Water's website. The award was dished out during an Arbor Day at the water authority’s Capitol Riverfront digs, and Bloom wasn’t the only toast of the town. It joined four other recipients getting pats on the back for their efforts to protect and proliferate DC's precious tree canopy.

With branches and leaves spanning over the nation's capital like a verdant umbrella, the tree canopy is a crucial player in the city's ecological and public health game. Shockingly, DC's treetop cover has dwindled from 50 percent in 1950 to a measly 37 percent according to research. In an effort to stem this arboreal decline, Bloom, certified by the EPA as top-tier stuff, works its magic on ravaged urban soils, boosting the chances for DC's trees to put down roots and reach for the skies.

Chris Peot, the environmental engineering whiz at DC Water and skipper of the Department of Resource Recovery, spouted his gratitude for the honor. Speaking to the importance of the tree canopy, Peot noted, "Many people don’t realize the vital role a city’s tree canopy plays in both environmental and human health," according to DC Water's announcement. Bloom’s contribution to the city’s green mantle is not lost on him. Casey Trees' head honcho Mark Buscaino threw in his two cents, hailing Bloom as the ideal supplement that gives their 6,000 newly planted yearly trees a fighting chance in tough city soil.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, scooping up Casey Trees' 2024 Leadership Award, has a soft spot for DC's leafy scene. Born and bred in Washington, she's been on the frontline fighting for federal backing to keep the city's trees towering. She said, “I am truly grateful that DC Water and Bloom share my commitment to protecting the city’s tree canopy for our current and future residents and are doing so by making an environmentally friendly product that benefits us all,” in a statement obtained by DC Water. The pride in her roots and in the city's natural crown is evident as she champions the protection of DC's arboreal heritage for the breathers of today and tomorrow.