Arbor Day Foundation - WKTV Journal

Trees are good for everybody, and the City of Kentwood is now a Tree City USA. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

In honor of Arbor Day and Kentwood’s new designation as a Tree City USA, the city will give away 300 tree seedlings to residents throughout the week leading up to its Arbor Day Celebration on Friday, April 30 — a celebration which will include a tree planting.

Kentwood residents are invited to the city’s Arbor Day Celebration, planned to begin at noon on Friday, April 30, at Veterans Memorial Park, 355 48th St SE. The event will begin with an Arbor Day proclamation, followed by a tree planting in the park.

Arbor Day is an annual day of observance typically held in the spring to celebrate trees and encourage tree planting.

“The Arbor Day Celebration is an exciting opportunity to engage residents in improving the city’s tree canopy,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said in supplied material. “Celebrating and planting trees in Kentwood will help generations to come enjoy a better quality of life with a healthier and more beautiful environment.”

Kentwood’s Arbor Day Celebration is also part of city’s participation in the Tree City USA program. Kentwood was recently recognized with the 2020 Tree City USA honor for promoting and caring for trees within the community, according to supplied material, and this is the first time Kentwood has received the designation.

In order to become a Tree City USA, cities must have an annual Arbor Day observance, a community tree ordinance, a tree board or department, and spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry activities.

“The (Tree City USA) program provides the necessary framework for communities to manage and expand their public trees, celebrate the importance of an urban tree canopy and improve care of vital city trees,” according to supplied material.

The city’s Arbor Day event will include free hot dogs and slushies, available at the concession stand. Attendees are reminded to wear face coverings, except when eating or drinking, and to follow physical distancing guidelines.

For more information on the City of Kentwood’s Arbor Day Celebration, visit kentwood.us/events.

Tree seedlings, park steward volunteer opportunities

Leading up to the Arbor Day celebration, city residents can receive free red maple or white pine tree seedlings at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, and at City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. The seedlings will be available during business hours Tuesday, April 27, through Friday, April 30, or until they are gone.

Residents are also invited to post a picture of their planted seedling on social media using the hashtag #GreeningKentwood.

The Kentwood Activities Center is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays. City Hall opens weekdays at 7:30 a.m., and closes at 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. City Hall closes at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and at noon Fridays. Face coverings are required for anyone who enters either building.

During Arbor Day week, residents can check on tree seedling availability by calling the Parks and Recreation Department at 616-656-5270.

Additionally, residents can also get involved beyond Arbor Day by joining the Kentwood Park Stewards, a new environmentally focused program to help preserve and maintain neighborhood parks, trails and public spaces.

Kentwood Park Stewards will participate in a hands-on workshop to remove invasive garlic mustard at Paris Park, 3213 60th St. SE, at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 24, in collaboration with Kent County Parks. An online “lunch and learn” on the importance of trees will also be offered at noon Wednesday, April 28.

More information and registration details for both events are available at kentwood.us/ParkStewards.

The City of Wyoming Tree Commission accepts the city’s new Tree USA designation at the Tree City Awards in Lansing earlier this month.

The Arbor Day Foundation named The City of Wyoming a 2016 Tree City USA in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management. Wyoming achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

“Tree City USA communities see the impact an urban forest has in a community firsthand,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Additionally, recognition brings residents together and creates a sense of community pride, whether it’s through volunteer engagement or public education.”

Wyoming began its quest to attain Tree City USA status in February 2016 when a group of committed residents formed The Tree Amigos. Wyoming commissioners voted in July 2016 to formally establish them as the Wyoming Tree Commission. The Tree Amigos are celebrating Arbor Day 2017 with three events:

Arbor Day Tree Planting and Proclamation by Mayor Jack Poll at City Hall, 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20. DeHamer Brothers Landscaping has donated a ten-foot tall serviceberry tree to commemorate this very special occasion.
Arbor Day Tree Education event with 60 Kellogsville students at Ideal Park, 5843 Crippen Ave SW, 49548 at 1 p.m. Friday, April 28. In addition to educational activities, the Kelloggsville Pep Band will play. The Tree Amigos will present each student a blue spruce sapling – and careful directions for its care.
Presentation of Tree City USA Award and flag to Wyoming City Council at City Hall, 7 p.m. Monday, May 1. The Tree Amigos will make a five-minute presentation and update to the City council.

Trees provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained. They improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home energy costs, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.

More information on the Tree City USA program is available at arborday.org/TreeCityUSA. Find the Wyoming Tree Commission on Facebook, The Tree Amigos, or email TreeAmigosWyoming@gmail.com.

The Wyoming Tree Commission, nick-named The Tree Amigos, seeks to develop and promote programs that maintain and improve Wyoming’s tree assets in our city’s public and private properties. We strive to foster a healthy, species-diverse tree canopy that meets or exceeds coverage percentages suggested by the Michigan DNR, U.S. Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters.