The City of Destin will hold its Annual Arbor Day Event at Destin City Hall located at 4200 Indian Bayou Trail on Friday, April 25, at 10 a.m. The event will feature a guest speaker and a tree planting ceremony by the city’s Environmental/Tree Committee.
“It’s an honor to be a part of the city’s Arbor Day celebration,” said Mayor Mel Ponder. “Arbor Day is a great reminder that we are surrounded by such natural beauty. We are thankful to have an amazing community that is focused on the health of Destin, and we are grateful for the beautiful magnolia that will stand in our city reminding us of this day.”
The ceremonial (magnolia) tree for this year has been donated by former Mayor Sam Seevers, dedicated to City of Destin staff. Mayor Ponder will host the ceremony. The featured guest speaker will be Henderson Beach State Park Specialist, Lynda Smith.
The city will give away an Eastern Redbud seedling to the first 50 people to arrive at the ceremony. The public is welcomed to bring their own seedlings to trade with other tree enthusiasts.
Additionally, this year the City of Destin has been named a Tree City USA community by The National Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to urban forestry. This is the 12th year Destin has received this national recognition.
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. In order for Destin to receive the Tree City USA recognition, four standards have to be met: the city must have a tree board, a tree ordinance, a community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance.
According to the National Arbor Day Foundation, Arbor Day is a nationally celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and tree care. Founded by J. Sterling Morton in Nebraska in 1872, National Arbor Day is celebrated each year on the last Friday in April.