St Augustine has been Tree City USA for 29 years

On Friday January 20th, Lincolnville’s Willie Galimore Recreation Center located at 399 South Riberia Street in St Augustine will be the site of a public ceremony honoring the 29th year that the City has received the designation of “Tree City USA” from the National Arbor Day Foundation.

While National Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April, individual states hold ceremonies on dates better suited to their own tree-planting season. Florida’s Arbor Day is celebrated on the third Friday in January. This year that is January 20th.

Historic City News readers are invited to attend the brief ceremony; including the planting of a tree by city officials, presentations by the city’s Street Tree Advisory Committee, and musical selections from students of Ketterlinus Elementary School, beginning at 11:00 a.m.

During the past 28 years of Arbor Day ceremonies, over 75 trees have been planted as part of St Augustine’s annual Arbor Day ceremony. There are 160 cities in the State of Florida that have received the designation of “Tree City USA” but only 10 have received the designation longer than St. Augustine.

The site for the annual Arbor Day ceremony and the types of trees planted changes from year to year. The trees to be planted at the Willie Galimore Center include Live Oak and Southern Red Cedar.

A standing tradition at the conclusion of the ceremony will be an appearance by Smokey Bear; who will assist in the distribution of a variety of saplings to those attending — including Southern Red Cedar, Live Oak, Sycamore and Red Maple.

Photo credits: © 2012 Historic City News contributed photograph by COSA