Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
The Sidney Tree Board will celebrate Arbor Day with its annual tree give-away Saturday, April 24 at the Lodgepole Valley Youth Camp.
This year marks the 35th year Sidney has been recognized as a Tree City USA community by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
The celebration and tree give-away have become a major part of the Sidney Tree Board’s community work as it strives to maintain a healthy tree canopy in the City of Sidney.
In preparation for the give-away, board members evaluate what they feel are trees that will not only work well in Sidney, but also provide diversity within the tree canopy.
“If you just have a few species of trees and a disease or insect comes in that affects that species it can have a devastating result on the overall picture. But if you can have a wider variety of trees, then the affect doesn’t harm as large a percentage of your canopy.” says Board Chair Tom VonSeggern.
This year the board is offering nine different species of trees to Sidney residents. Six deciduous species include Hackberry, Triumph Elm, Thorn-less Hawthorn, Bur Oak, Profusion Crabapple, and Mesabi Cherry. Three evergreen species include Ponderosa Pine, Limber Pine, and Austrian Pine.
Gates open at 7 a.m. and residents from within the city of Sidney can browse trees and decide which would be best in their yard. They will then sign in, and can designate their tree preference.
The Arbor Day celebration begins at 8 a.m., followed by speaker Chrissy Land from the Nebraska Forest Service. As part of her program, Land will provide information about the different types of trees and good placement for them, then show participants how to properly prepare and plant their tree. Afterward, those attending will receive their trees.
About 70 - 80 trees are slated to be given away.
The Lodgepole Valley Youth Camp board, which is serving as the day’s hosts, will be hosting an open house and providing coffee and donuts. Local Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts will be on hand to assist participants.
Reader Comments(0)