Town celebrates Arbor Day
Published 11:26 am Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Town of Farmville horticulturist and Town Tree Board Member Jay Wilkerson, left, prepares tree seedlings to be picked up by members of the community with Annemarie Kovacs and Tom Crouse. (Photo by Emily Hollingsworth)
Bryonna Watson, left, picks up flowering dogwood and redbud tree seedlings to plant Saturday with Susan Marion, Shawn Watson Jr. and Robin Perkins. (Photo by Emily Hollingsworth)
Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners Representatives Nan Colvin and Christine Bianco distribute information about tree care and gardening. (Photo by Emily Hollingsworth)
Virginia Department of Forestry Representative Patrick Murphy and Virginia Cooperative Extension Representative Tina Wells brave the chilly weather to distribute information about tree care and Arbor Day during a celebration held at the Farmers Market site Saturday. (Photo by Emily Hollingsworth)
Maddissen and Steven Stolarik pick up a flowering dogwood, sugar maple and redbud tree to plant. (Photo by Emily Hollingsworth)
The chilly weather Saturday morning didn’t deter community members or representatives from the Town of Farmville, the Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners or the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) from stopping by the Farmville Community Marketplace to pick up a few trees ready for planting during an event to celebrate Arbor Day.
The three tree seedlings the gardeners had on site were flowering dogwoods, sugar maples and redbuds. The trees are native to Virginia and simple to grow, Town horticulturist and Town Tree Board member Jay Wilkerson said.
He said they had 1,500 trees ready to give away, 500 of each variety. The trees were given free of charge.
Wilkerson estimated that this would be the 12th or 13th year the organizations have partnered to celebrate Arbor Day.
Wilkerson said the Town of Farmville is a member of Tree City USA, a program with the Arbor Day Foundation that requires that towns commit to having a community tree ordinance, maintaining a tree board or department, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day, the Arbor Day Foundation cited.
In keeping with the Tree City USA requirements, Wilkerson said the Town of Farmville, the Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners and VDOF partner to celebrate Arbor Day.
The trees were provided by VDOF, Wilkerson said.
Nan Colvin with the Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners said the organization assists annually to distribute the trees and celebrate the holiday.
“We help each year,” Colvin said.
For the complete gallery of photos from the event, click here.
