Celebrating trees in Sisters

After a month of off-and-on snow showers and gray days, a beautiful spring morning welcomed 10 preschool students from the Mountain Montessori Preschool to partake in planting four deciduous trees at City Hall in celebration of Arbor Day on Friday, April 29.

Accompanied by a teacher and volunteer parent, preschoolers walked together from the Mountain Montessori Preschool located on West Adams Avenue to City Hall and back. They were greeted by Mayor Michael Preedin, City staff, and the Public Works crew before getting into the magic of planting trees.

The four trees were grown in the City’s own nursery, and were placed between the City Hall building and Sisters Library. The Public Works crew spent the prior days preparing for the tree planting celebration by selecting two chokecherry trees, a serviceberry, and a red maple, then carefully digging the holes, and setting up the site for when the kids arrived.

The 10 preschoolers watched the Public Works crew move the trees into each hole, amazed at their strength.

“How can you lift a tree so big!” one girl said.

Then they all excitedly began to fill in each tree’s new home with dirt and water.

Before the preschool students left to go back to school, City staff invited them to come check on their trees every time they visit the library.

“Make sure to come back to check on your trees and see how they are growing!” said Emme Shoup, Sisters assistant planner.

Every year, a different group of students is asked to participate in the planting ceremony. This annual tree planting ceremony is important in celebrating the City of Sisters’ Tree City USA designation – and this year is the City’s 15th year being recognized.

Shoup says trees are a part of what makes Sisters, Sisters.

“Earning Tree City USA recognition gives us great pride. It reinforces that we as a community continue to be stewards of our abundant natural beauty here in Sisters,” she said.

As a Tree City USA participant through the Arbor Day Foundation, Sisters is the only city in Oregon to have an Urban Forestry Board, Urban Forestry Management Plan, a contracted City Forester, and a Tree Ordinance (ORD 376). For more information about the City’s Tree Preservation Ordinance, visit https://www.ci.sisters.or.us/com

munity-development/page/tree-preservation-removals.