Getting muddy for Arbor Day

Wielding trowels and a few "big-people" shovels, excited kindergartners celebrated Arbor Day by planting trees at Village Green Park last Friday morning.

The day dawned with blue skies and sunshine, allowing the eager gardeners to walk from Sisters Elementary School to the park, where they were greeted by Sisters Mayor Chuck Ryan, Community Assistance Forester Katie Lompa of the Oregon Department of Forestry, and employees of the City Public Works Department.

Mayor Ryan read a formal proclamation regarding Arbor Day, followed by Lompa's presentation to Ryan of two awards from the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. The Tree City USA award recognizes the City's commitment to effective urban forest management by meeting the program's four requirements: a tree board or department (Sisters' Urban Forestry Board); a tree-care ordinance; an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita; and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

This was the 10th year the City received the award and the seventh year for the Growth Award for demonstrating environmental improvement and higher urban forest management above and beyond the four standards.

The Tree City USA award was given to 60 other Oregon communities and over 5,500 communities nationwide. Salem has received the award for all 41 years that it has been given.

"Healthy city trees contribute to the livability of every city," Lompa told the gathering at the park. "The trees right outside our doors provide critical benefits to people and wildlife. Over the next 50 years, urban areas are projected to increase substantially. The role of trees and our active management of them will become even more critical to ensure healthy and livable communities."

The students, with the help of the adults, placed maple and chokecherry trees into pre-dug holes, which they filled with healthy soil and then watered. Four trees are located along the north side of the park on East Washington Avenue and one on the south side along East Jefferson Avenue.

Elementary students have been taking part in the Arbor Day tree planting for 10 years, according to Public Works Director Paul Bertagna, who urged all the children to hold up their muddy hands as they were being photographed.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information can be found at www.arborday.org.