ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — The City of Robertsdale gave away approximately 1,000 trees as part of the city’s Arbor Day celebration held Saturday, Feb. 29.
Officials with the Robertsdale Parks, Street and Tree Committee, along with Baldwin County Master Gardeners and city employees were on hand giving away trees at the pavilion in Honeybee Park on Alabama 59.
Varieties included gingko biloba, weeping willow, red maple, live oak, long leaf pine, persimmon, yellow poplar, sawtooth oak, sycamore and yaupon holly.
The city also held a drawing to give away an tangerine tree in honor of Arbor Day, which was won by resident Fletcher McKinney.
The annual Arbor Day celebrations are part of the local municipalities’ qualification as a Tree City USA community.
In order to qualify as a Tree City, municipalities must meet four standards established by The Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters.
According to the Arbor Day Foundation website, arborday.org, the standards were established to ensure that every qualifying community would have a viable tree management plan and program and were designed so that no community would be excluded because of size.
In order to qualify for Tree City USA status, municipalities must:
• Have a tree board or department.
• Adopt a tree care ordinance.
•Maintain a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita.
• Hold an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
Arbor Day was originated in Nebraska City, Neb., by J. Sterling Morton. The first Arbor Day was held April 10, 1872 and an estimated 1 million trees were planted that day.
Many countries now observe a similar holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, depending on climate and suitable planting season.
