Superior celebrated Arbor day at Historic Education Park on Saturday April 19, 2008. In terms of trees planted, this was the largest of Superior’s six Arbor Day celebrations! This year’s celebration included refreshments provided by Panera Bread and craft activities provided by Pots N Paints.
David Rhine from Swingle Lawn, Tree, and Landscape Care gave a talk about the importance of winter watering to trees in Superior. He said that trees need about an inch and a quarter of water every 4 weeks in the winter, and noted that this corresponds to approximately one foot of snow. He explained how failure to adequately water a tree sets the stage for tree disease and pest infestations. After his talk, he answered questions from the audience.
Town Trustee Dana D’Souza accpeted the Tree City USA award from state forrester Keith Wood. There is a “5 year” sticker to place on the town’s Tree City USA signage.
This year’s poster contest drew approximately one hundred and ninety entries, up from approximately one hundred and fifty last year. The contest theme, drawn from the National Arbor Day Association, was “Trees are terriffic, inside and out”. The artwork of the nine finalists was on display. The finalists each received an award and prize. The winning poster was printed on Arbor Day tee shirts that were given out to all attendees.
After posing for a group photo with a Tree City USA banner, the volunteers spread across Historic Education Park to plant the many trees and shrubs that awaited them. There were 12 trees of several varieties and sizes to plant. The town arborist explained that the plants were chosen not only for their suitability for the park, but for their suitability for use in home landscaping by town residents. She explained that name tags will allow residents to identify each type of plant used in the park’s landscaping.
