The City of Decatur, a 2017 Tree City USA designee for the 36th time, will host its annual Arbor Day tree planting ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday, April 27 at Oak Grove Elementary School, located at 2160 W. Center St. in Decatur.
City Forester Randy Callison will oversee the ceremony.
First observed in 1872, Arbor Day is observed on the last Friday in April in the United States to celebrate the role of trees in our lives and to promote tree planting. According to the Arbor Day Foundation which oversees the Tree City USA program, the designation is given in honor of a community’s commitment to urban forestry management as evidenced through the meeting of four core standards of sound urban forestry management: maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day.
At 36 years, Decatur ranks fifth highest of all Illinois communities for the number of years to have received the award. Visit arborday.org/TreeCityUSA for more information on the program.
