Story and photos submitted by the Ada Tree Commission
One of the cool things about being in the 3rd grade at Ada Elementary School is the annual Arbor Day Celebration.
Each spring, the volunteers on the Ada Tree Commission visit the 3rd graders to talk a little about trees. The commissioners share stories about trees, wildlife, and how to plant the bare root tree each student receives from the Tree Commission.
Tree Commissioners also talk to the students about what it means to be a Tree City USA, as Ada has been named for 32 years, and what it means for Ohio Northern University to be a Tree Campus USA, as ONU has been named for four years.
The students also get to take an active role in the celebrating. In the weeks prior to the event each year, current Mayor David Retterer has asked students to draw a tree-themed picture.
This year, he asked students to draw pictures of two different types of trees. The mayor then collects the drawings, and selects three that have caught his eye the most. The artists of those pictures are recognized at the celebration, and each receives a tree-related book that has been specially selected by the mayor.
The Ada Tree Commission looks forward to talking with the students about trees and Arbor Day each year. Arbor Day was first suggested as a tree-planting holiday in Nebraska in 1872. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, an estimated 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day in April 1872.
Locally, the holiday is celebrated by proclamation of the mayor, which this year declares Friday, April 26, 2013 as Arbor Day in the Village of Ada. In his proclamation, which will be shared with the 3rd graders, Mayor Retterer stresses the importance of trees in our community.
He writes:
Trees can reduce the erosion of our precious topsoil by wind and water…….produce life-giving oxygen, and provide habitat for wildlife, and….. trees, wherever they are planted, are a source of joy and spiritual renewal.”
Civic organization involvement was also a major component in the early days of Arbor Day celebrations, and the Ada Kiwanis Club continues that tradition each year. Representatives from the Kiwanis often make an appearance at the celebration, and the club continues to support the objectives of the Ada Tree Commission.
This year, the celebration with Ada 3rd graders will be held on Friday, April 26th, at 12:30 pm.
Photo IDs:
Tree Commissioner Norm Rex talks to Ada 3rd graders at the 2012 Arbor Day Celebration.
The winners of the 2012 Arbor Day coloring contest sponsored by the mayor pose with the Ada Tree Commission. (Submitted by the Ada Tree Commission)
