Hemisfair, San Antonio’s famed urban parks district, has been chosen by Wells Fargo as one of two Texas recipients for the bank’s "Hope, USA" initiative aimed at beautifying small-business communities nationwide.

Hemisfair’s leaders have also launched a tree donor recognition app to showcase philanthropic contributions to the Hemisfair Conservancy’s environmental initiatives.

According to a press release, a $50,000 grant funded the purchase and planting of nine native trees at the confluence of Hemisfair’s three parks—Yanaguana Garden, Civic Park and Tower Park.

The Wells Fargo Grove was unveiled at a Dec. 8 ceremony with Wells Fargo leaders and Hemisfair supporters in attendance along with a digital campaign showcasing the initiative.

Sandra Nannini, Hemisfair Conservancy board chair and senior vice president at Wells Fargo, said Wells Fargo has a long relationship with Hemisfair and that the financial institution's leaders are excited to bring the initiative to San Antonio and help support local businesses in a beautification project.

“Small businesses are the heart of our communities, and with the help of Hemisfair, we’re able to amplify our green footprint while continuing to drive economic recovery,” Nannini said in a statement.

Hemisfair officials said the Hope, USA campaign is designed to share hope with communities across the U.S. in support of small businesses. Wells Fargo is helping to revitalize business districts in more than 12 U.S. cities, park officials added.

“We’re thrilled to receive this investment from Wells Fargo,” Hemisfair Conservancy Executive Director Anne Krause said in a statement. “Our small businesses are the energy behind Hemisfair’s success, offering food, drink and amenities for families visiting the park, creating jobs and contributing to the local economy. We’re grateful to our partners at Wells Fargo for selecting Hemisfair as a Hope, USA recipient just in time for the holiday season, when ‘choosing local’ is especially crucial for San Antonio small business owners.”

Hemisfair is home to seven local small businesses, including CommonWealth Coffeehouse and Bakery, Dough Pizzeria Napoletana, EnergyX Fitness, Lick Ice Creams, Magik Theatre, Paleteria San Antonio and Re:Rooted Urban Winery.

Box Street Social will open its first brick-and-mortar location at Hemisfair this month. Künstler Tap and Brat-Haus, Bombay Bicycle Club and The Jerk Shack are slated to open at Hemisfair in 2022.

Hemisfair used the Dec. 8 ceremony to also reveal its tree donor recognition app, a new augmented reality, web-based application created to highlight philanthropic contributions to the Hemisfair Conservancy’s ecological initiatives.

According to the release, the Wells Fargo Grove, which includes nine newly planted Southern Live Oak, Magnolia and Mountain Laurel trees, joins 11 sponsored trees in Yanaguana Garden.

An additional 200 trees in Hemisfair’s Civic Park, which will break ground in January, are available for sponsorship. Hemisfair worked with the city arborist to pilot the program for tagging new trees with the app’s QR code.

“We wanted to create a special way to recognize donors who contribute to Hemisfair’s environmental sustainability,” Krause said in a statement. “This first-of-its-kind app allows us to uniquely honor their tribute or memorial while identifying the native tree they’ve sponsored.”

The app is available at hemisfair.app or by scanning any tree QR code at Hemisfair, 434 S. Alamo St., for the full augmented reality experience.

Hemisfair officials said anyone interested in sponsoring a tree may contact the Hemisfair Conservancy at [email protected] or 210-262-2502. For more information, visit hemisfair.org/donate/tree-donor-recognition.