Trees to be celebrated in April

ROSEBURG, Ore. – Celebrate Arbor Day a little early with an event being held in Stewart Park Saturday, April 1 – shortly after Roseburg was redesignated as a “Tree City USA.”

Mayor Larry Rich is expected to proclaim April as “Arbor Month” in Roseburg, where the Tree City USA flag will fly outside City Hall throughout April. Arbor Day is officially Friday, April 28.

Roseburg Parks and Recreation staff are planning an “Arbor Day Event” in Stewart Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 1. The free event will include kids’ activities, demonstrations featuring trees and maybe even a few animals. There’ll also be giveaways such as free sapling while supplies last.

Roseburg was first designated as a “Tree City” in 2016 by the Arbor Day Foundation, which has been using the “Tree City USA” program since 1976 to encourage the expansion and preservation of urban forests through tree planting and effective management and recognition of “green” communities. The City has been applying annually to retain that title for seven years.

“We’re the timber Capitol of the nation, so it’s really appropriate for us to be a ‘Tree City,’ ” said Roseburg City Manager Nikki Messenger.

Properly planted and maintained trees are community and environmental assets that boost each neighborhood’s visual appeal and property values, reduce home-cooling costs, remove air pollutants and provide critical wildlife habitat.

Communities like Roseburg can apply for “Tree City USA” status by meeting Arbor Day Foundation standards that include having someone legally response for tree care on City-owned property, enacting a public tree care ordinance, celebrating Arbor Day with an observance and proclamation, and spending at least $2 per capita, or per resident, on urban forestry. Roseburg also has to keep track of the number of trees planted and removed.

Roseburg’s Arbor Day Event will be held in the large pavilion at Stewart Park, where you can learn about important role trees play in the community and for local wildlife. The event will feature at least seven booths. Be sure to check the City’s Facebook page and the Parks & Recreation Facebook page for tree care or “husbandry” tips and other information about trees throughout April.

The Arbor Day Foundation was started in 1972 to celebrate the centennial or 100^th anniversary of the first Arbor Day. The foundation plants and distributes more than 10 million trees each year in places that include state and national forests, according to the foundation’s website. The foundation recognizes more than 3,400 communities through the Tree City USA program.