SPRING LAKE GARDEN CLUB CELEBRATES ARBOR DAY 2015
Spring Lake Garden Club will sponsor an Arbor Day tree planting on Friday, December 18, at 10 am near the pavilion at Ramon Lucio Park, I-35 south and C. M. Allen Street. The previous scheduled Arbor Day Celebration was postponed due to weather issues. Melanie Howard of San Marcos Parks and Recreation chose the site and has organized the planting and care of five trees.
Trees chosen to be planted are Red Mulberry, Desert Willow, Texas Huisache, Roughleaf Dogwood, and Soapberry. The trees were donated by Spring Lake Garden Club.
Mayor Guerrero’s Arbor Day Proclamation will be read. The proclamation outlines advantages of tree planting such as reducing erosion, increasing property values, and enhancing economic vitality of businesses, as well as contributing to joy and spiritual renewal.
Children from Hill Country Christian School will help plant the trees. Abby Fritzler will lead the children in music and songs. A marker designed by Billy Ray Mangham, from Eye of the Dog Art Center, will be placed within the tree area. Chris and Sharolyn Lippke of Gsus Music Therapy will provide celebration music during the tree planting.
The founder of Arbor Day is attributed to J. Sterling Morton of Nebraska. He proposed a tree-planting holiday to be called “Arbor Day” to the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture in January of 1872. April 10, 1872, was chosen as the date and prizes were given to counties and individuals for planting trees on that day. More than one million trees were estimated to be planted on that first Arbor Day.
Other states, recognizing the value of tree planting, then began to create Arbor Days in the 1870’s and schools took up the tradition nation-wide in 1882.
Currently, Arbor Day is mostly commonly designated as the last Friday in April, but several states adjust the day to coincide with the best tree planting weather for their area. Arbor Day for Texas is the first Friday in November.
Spring Lake Garden Club encourages the community to attend and participate the celebration of Arbor Day at Ramon Lucio Park in San Marcos.
