Celebrate spring
It’s been great to see the snow disappear, and spring finally arrive. It was a particularly long and harsh winter, it seems, with long stretches of cold and snow. No complaints, though—the moisture has been very needed and welcome.
Now, with temperatures warming, it’s a great time to turn our attention to the outdoors.
During the month of April, in addition to the great holiday of Easter, there are two more holidays that are cause for celebration— Earth Day (Saturday, April 22) and Arbor Day (Friday, April 28).
The Grant Tree Board is celebrating both with activities open to the public.
park cleanup
Saturday, April 22, there will be a Grant City Park cleanup day sponsored by the tree board. Everyone is invited—meet at the park at 10:30 a.m. and bring whatever tools you think would be useful and gloves if you wish. Inclement weather would move the date to May 20.
arbor day
A simple and ideal way to improve the community is planting a tree! This fact has been recognized by the state of Nebraska with the celebration of Arbor Day held annually the last Friday in April.
Trees do so much for a community. Not only do they beautify our surroundings, they create oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, divert rainwater, create shade which reduces cooling costs, provide habitat and food for wildlife, the list goes on and on. Their presence has a positive effect on people’s mental health. A town with no trees would have little appeal to anyone.
The Grant Tree Board traditionally celebrates Arbor Day by joining with the Grant Lions and Perkins County fourth graders in planting a tree on public grounds in the community.
It’s a classroom as well as a hands-on learning experience for the students. They are given several tree choices selected by the tree board to study. Based on their study of trees’ characteristics, they decide which type they would like to plant.
The tree theme is reinforced with a creative project...the students’ own drawings are transferred to t-shirts that they can wear for the Arbor Day celebration and beyond.
The community is welcome at the planting event, Wednesday, April 19 (location to be determined), where proper tree planting techniques are demonstrated by tree board members. And yes, there are right and wrong ways to plant a tree. Planting a tree correctly can make a huge difference in the health and life span of a tree.
Please join the tree board in teaching young students the importance of trees in a community.