Invitation to Arbor Day and Tree City USA Award Presentation
Please join us at the 2013 Arbor Day tree planting and Tree City USA Award presentation on Friday, April 12, at 3:00 p.m. This year’s event will be in Petersen Park, at Royal Avenue and Berntzen Road. You can help Mayor Piercy, Lorna Baldwin, Parks and Open Space Division’s West Region Volunteer Coordinator, and Principal Dana Miller’s Cascade Middle School volunteer students in planting nine trees in the park near Petersen Barn. One of several tree planting events in Eugene happening during Arbor Week, this project will give support and recognition to an underserved area of the City, in west Eugene.
Mayor Piercy will kick-off the celebration by accepting Eugene’s 34th consecutive Tree City USA award. Tree City USA, a program of the National Arbor Day Foundation and sponsored by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), recognizes cities that have developed programs that plant and care for trees. Link Smith, Western Lane District Forester for ODF in Veneta, will present the award to Mayor Piercy and will join us in our Arbor Day tree planting.
Three Oregon bigleaf maples will be planted along Berntzen Road, two tulip poplar trees will be planted near the basketball court, and three Willamette Valley ponderosa pines will be planted in the northwest corner of the park to replace failing trees. You can support the City’s commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship, education and social equity by helping several young Cascade Cougars plant these new trees on Friday, April 12th.
Arbor Day is America's national tree holiday, a day set aside to plant ceremonial trees, educate children about the importance of trees and honor the important role trees play in the daily lives of people in communities across the country. Founded in 1872, Arbor Day is now celebrated in all 50 states. In 1970, President Richard Nixon proclaimed the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day. Oregonians celebrate Arbor Week the first full week in April. For more information about Arbor Day and other Arbor Week plantings, contact Mark Snyder, Urban Forester, at 541-682-4819 or mark.r.snyder@ci.eugene.or.us.