NATIONAL ARBOR DAY
Pines of Delray Beach
We celebrated National Arbor Day by planting trees in the Pines of Delray neighborhood of Delray Beach. The residents are taking advantage of our fee-for-service residential tree planting program to add shade along their morning walking routes. This gumbo limbo is the first of 20 Florida native trees that also include paradisetrees and South Florida slash pine. It is exciting to see the tree planting campaign expanding in our Tree City USA. Pines of Delray Board President, Nicholas Coppola, and Vice President, MaryEllen Wazorko, want more trees to cool and clean the air, add to the neighborhood’s character, and increase home values.
The History of Arbor Day
In 1872 on April 10, his idea to set aside a day for planting and calling attention to trees became the first Arbor Day, when it is said that Nebraskans planted one million trees. The birthplace of Arbor Day was Nebraska City, where the Mortons lived in their home called Arbor Lodge.
Tree City USA
The Tree City USA program has been greening up cities and towns across America since 1976. It is a nationwide movement that provides the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees.
More than 3,400 communities have made the commitment to becoming a Tree City USA. They have achieved Tree City USA status by meeting four core standards of sound urban forestry management: maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day.