The Marmo Freeman Maple will offer shade to Riverfront Park goers while producing brilliant fall colors. City of Allegan parks employee Corey Belden, Council member Delora Andrus, Officer Josh Morgan, City Manager Joel Dye, Mayor Pro-Tem Roger Bird, City of Allegan parks employee Laurie Courtney, Department of Public Works Director Doug Kadzban, and Mayor Teresa Galloway pose for a photo beside the newly planted Marmo Maple. (Photo courtesy of City of Allegan)
To enhance the environment, employees of Timber Cannabis Co assisted in planting three Green Giant Arborvitae trees in Jaycee Park on Arbor Day 2023.
By Gari Voss
Arbor Day, April 28, 2023, displayed the City of Allegan’s commitment to their recognition for the past 37 years as a Tree City USA. The celebration began with the installation of a second Marmo Freeman Maple in Riverfront Park.
Mayor Teresa Galloway proclaimed the importance of planting and caring for trees and woodlands so they can be enjoyed today and by future generations.
The celebration continued at Jaycee Park when Timber Cannabis Co. and Wyld collaborated with the City Department of Public Works to locate three Green Giant Arborvitae trees in the park. These fast-growing evergreen trees as known to grow as much as three feet a year, and will give natural beauty and protection to birds and small wildlife.
Arbor Day is officially celebrated thanks to then Secretary of the Nebraska Territory Sterling Morton who advocated for a holiday specifically designated to planting a tree. On January 4, 1872, at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture, the holiday Arbor Day was proposed.
On April 10, 1872, the first Arbor Day was celebrated in counties and towns across Nebraska when an estimated 1 million trees were planted. In 1885, Arbor Day became a legal holiday in Nebraska.
The idea spread, and by 1920 more than 45 states and territories celebrated Arbor Day with the planting of trees, and school children learning the importance of trees to the health of the environment and the people who live in it.
Different areas of the world celebrate Arbor Day at times that fit their climates. Those who participate realize that by simply planting a tree, they are providing clean air and water, cool shade, habitat for wildlife, healthier communities and a lovelier environment for generations to come.