City will celebrate Arbor Day at Rollins Park

Public Affairs director, Paul Williamson, reported that on Friday, January 16th at Rollins Park, near the corner of West King Street and South Whitney Street, the City of St Augustine will commemorate Arbor Day during a brief ceremony starting at 11:00 a.m. and all Historic City News readers are invited to attend.

There are 164 cities in the State of Florida which have received the designation of Tree City USA, but only seven have received the designation longer than St. Augustine.

“The trees being planted are Southern Red Cedars; the type of tree and the location is determined each year by the Street Tree Advisory Committee,” Williamson explained. “The ceremony will draw to a close with Smokey Bear assisting in the distribution of a variety of saplings to all in attendance.”

The National Arbor Day Foundation conferred the prized Tree City USA designation in 1985 and has honored the city with the Tree City USA Growth Award every year since 1991. Altogether, 90 trees have been planted in 22 locations during Arbor Day ceremonies in St Augustine.

This year’s ceremony will include the planting of a tree by city officials, presentations by the Street Tree Advisory Committee, and participation by students from Crookshank Elementary School.

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 16th.