Tag Archives: Tulip Trees

Wyoming Arbor Day event to plant trees at Lee High School

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By Tree Amigos
City of Wyoming Tree Commission

At this year’s Arbor Day celebration, the City of Wyoming Tree Commission (Tree Amigos) in partnership with the Wyoming Lee High School Ecology Club will be planting Tulip Trees at the Lee High School. (Free domain)

The City of Wyoming Tree Commission, “The Tree Amigos,” is partnering with Wyoming Lee High School Ecology Club in the City’s 2019 Arbor Day Ceremony set for 9:30 a.m. Friday, April 26 at the high school located at 1335 Lee St. SW.

To open the event, members of the Club will plant two tulip trees on school property bordering Lee Street. The trees are being provided by The Tree Amigos. Excavation and permitting are being provided by the City of Wyoming. The planting will launch phase two of The Tree Amigos’ Tree-covery Block-by-block project that is focusing on the Godfrey Lee neighborhood.

“We absolutely have some areas that need this resource,” said Vlad Borza, the Lee teacher who leads the Ecology Club. “I actually worked on a project just last year with HS Ecology students to identify this very need.

“Due to disease and windfall, several of the trees along the (school’s) front parking area and along the side had to be removed in recent years. We would love to re-populate this area with some preferably native trees that can begin to complete the void left behind by these removals.”

Lee High School lost several trees to disease and windfall. (Supplied)

After the students plant the tree, a City of Wyoming official will read the 2019 Arbor Day Proclamation. The event will also celebrate the City of Wyoming’s April 2019 designation as a 2018 Tree City USA. Kevin Sayers, urban forestry program coordinator for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, awarded the designation to the City of Wyoming at the April 10 Tree City USA Awards event in East Lansing. This is the third year in a row that the City of Wyoming has been designated as a Tree City USA. 

The Friends of Grand Rapids Parks has also noted the need for increasing tree canopy in this area where Wyoming and Grand Rapids share a boundary. This City of Grand Rapids organization has been a helpful resource for The Tree Amigos. Friends has embarked on an aggressive tree planting project throughout the Roosevelt Park neighborhood. Its Urban Forest Project also offer resources and tree education classes, which are open to Wyoming residents. Lauren Davis, urban forest coordinator for Friends, serves as The Tree Amigos volunteer consulting certified arborist.
 

“There is no arguing the significant environmental and economic benefits that trees bring to our communities,” Davis said.  “As we continue to lose mature trees from natural causes and development, the need to plant new trees has never been greater.”