The City of Destin will hold its Annual Arbor Day event at Main Street Park located at 605 Main St. on Friday, April 29, at 10 a.m. The event will feature a guest speaker and a tree planting ceremony by the city’s Environmental, Parks & Recreation Committee/Tree Board.
The ceremonial tree (Live Oak) this year has been donated by Brightview Landscaping. Mayor Scott Fischer will host the ceremony. The featured guest speaker will be Aubrey Santucci, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist. She is also vice president and operations manager of Coastline Tree Service & Landscaping in Destin.
“Arbor Day is a great time to reflect on the importance of our environment and specifically, the benefit of trees,” said Mayor Scott Fischer. “It is fitting that we plant a tree in one of our many parks on this day, furthering the mission to enhance the quality of life in our community and preserve our environment for future generations.”
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 14th 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.