Paducah Parks & Recreation is holding an Arbor Day Celebration on Friday, April 28 at the Noble Park Amphitheatre. From 5 until 7 p.m., enjoy free activities including a tree identification walk, a coloring contest, arts & crafts, and a tree hugging contest.
The Arbor Day Celebration also honors Paducah’s 31st consecutive year being named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management.
Mayor George Bray said, “Tree City USA was designed to encourage better care of the nation’s community forests by awarding recognition to communities that meet four basic standards of a good tree care program. I am proud that Paducah meets those standards and works to exceed them. Here in Paducah, we benefit daily from the cleaner air, shadier streets, and aesthetic beauty that our healthy, well-managed urban forest provides. We are working hard to expand our influence to protect our tree canopy both in commercial and residential developments.”
Paducah achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
Paducah Tree Advisory Board Chairman Jonathan E. Perkins, who also is a landscape architect and certified arborist, said, “We benefit daily from our urban canopy. When properly planted and maintained, trees improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants, and provide habitats for wildlife. I’m proud to serve on Paducah’s Tree Advisory Board. Over the next few months, we will work to educate the community on desirable tree species and planting procedures to ensure that Paducah continues to have a healthy tree population.”
“Everyone benefits when elected officials, volunteers and committed citizens in communities like Paducah make smart investments in urban forests,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees bring shade to our homes and beauty to our neighborhoods, along with numerous economic, social and environmental benefits.”
Paducah is one of more than 3,600 Tree City USAs. More information on the program is available at Tree City USA.
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. 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.
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