Friday, April 24, 2020

The Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department's Feature Friday

Each Friday, the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department features something new for residents and visitors to learn more about and today, its not only Feature Friday, its also Arbor Day! And that's cause for celebration!

What is Arbor Day? The answer is quite simple, Arbor Day is one day of the year when we all celebrate trees and the important role that they play in our environment. It was started in Nebraska in 1872 and is still celebrated today throughout the United States and even around the world. Arbor Day is an important way to raise awareness of the many issues that surround trees.

Normally we would host a class and plant a tree together as a community, this year we’re celebrating a little differently. We can’t physically gather as a community, but we can still come together to celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree right from your couch! All you have to do post a photo of your favorite tree on social media, tag @arborday, and use the hashtag #arbordayathome. Then Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree on your behalf! To follow along with how many trees have been planted or to learn more, visit www.celebratearborday.com

We’ll go first! Our pick is the American Beech. It is not a common tree in Wisconsin, confined almost exclusively to the eastern part of the state, but you can find this beautiful tree right here in Greenville! It is easily recognized by its smooth, gray bark. The leaves turn a golden bronze in fall and the tree produces hard, brown beechnuts that are an important food source for birds and mammals. Take a walk through Schueler Woods at Lions Park and see if you can find the American Beech growing there. 



To see more photos of today's Feature Friday or to see more posts like this, check out the Parks & Recreation Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/greenvilleparkandrec/ To learn more about the Arbor Day Foundation go to https://www.arborday.org/