The City of Destin will hold its Annual Arbor Day Event at Dewey “Buck” Destin Park located at 724 Legion Drive on Friday, April 24, at 10 a.m. The event will feature a guest speaker and a tree planting ceremony by the city’s Environmental/Tree Committee.
“I am always honored to be a part of the city’s Arbor Day celebration,” said Mayor Mel Ponder. “While we sometimes take for granted the importance of a single tree, the Live Oak tree we plant on Arbor Day this year will represent our commitment to improve our environment and beautify our community.”
The ceremonial tree (Live Oak) this year has been donated by Vision Landscaping and will be dedicated in honor of two late Environmental/Tree Committee members, Evelyn Drowne and Paul Ratzel. Mayor Ponder will host the ceremony. The featured guest speaker will be Okaloosa County Extension Agent Larry Williams.
The city will give away Red Maple seedlings to the first 50 people to arrive at the ceremony. The public is welcome 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 13th 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.