by John Dowd
Last Friday, Stevensville Elementary School third graders were treated to a bit of conservation knowledge when they attended the first Stevensville Arbor Day celebration that has been held in several years.
According to Stevensville Parks Director, Stephen Lassiter, “It’s important to start these kids young, start them thinking about things like this, thinking about how important trees are to the ecosystem.”
Although the event faded away from interest many years ago, Lassiter and others believed it would be a good idea to bring it back, and to get local youth involved.
The third graders gathered around a hole dug in the ground at the Lewis and Clark Park in Stevensville, and beforehand their teachers explained the importance of the ceremony. To start off the event, Stevensville Mayor Steve Gibson gave an Arbor Day Proclamation speech in front of the third grade before the tree was planted. Gibson also thanked Lassiter for his efforts to bring the celebration back to the town of Stevensville.
According to Lassiter, the event brings some notoriety to towns that participate as well as some funding. Lassiter said if a town holds the event annually, they are granted the title “Tree City” by the Arbor Day Foundation. Some other criteria for the event are that the town seeks coverage by local media, and that the mayor give a proclamation. Meeting these and other criteria grants a city the title.
The Arbor Day Foundation was started in 1976 in an effort to help reforest urban areas and make America greener. The organization gives grants every year to help cities with the Tree City monicker plant more trees. The amount of funding available to a city can be up to hundreds of dollars. This program is called Tree City U.S.A.
Lassiter explained that the effort is more than just a reforestation program. More trees bring cities cooler temperatures, cleaner air, higher property values and much more. According to the Arbor Day Foundation’s website, by 2021 the organization invested over $1 billion into urban forestry and helped to plant nearly one million trees.
The tree Stevensville chose to plant this year was an autumn blaze maple. Lassiter explained that they chose this tree for its fall color and canopy. Lassiter said these trees make for great shade trees, and bright colors.
All the third graders that participated in the event were given goodie bags donated by Starr Chilson with the Forest Service in town. After the mayoral proclamation, the children recited the poem “The Gift of the Tree,” by Lenore Hetrick.