Published: April 27, 2009 09:34 am      

Large turnout for Arbor Day Celebration

By VANESSA WELCH

vanessa.welch@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Families celebrated the importance of trees and learned ways to care for the environment during the second annual Arbor Day Celebration Saturday at Veterans Park.

Presented by the Mt. Vernon Parks and Recreation Department and sponsored by AmerenIP, local organizations provided youth-centered activities and food while participants experienced nature firsthand.

“I hope that [the children] know that it’s more fun to be playing outdoors than on a video game inside,” George Bryant, director of the Parks and Recreation Department said. “This is part of our Family Adventure Series that is all about experiencing new and different things outdoors with your family. These programs bring the family together.”

Bryant, who is also a certified arborist with the International Society of Arborculture, demonstrated how to plant a tree and discussed some problems people may experience once it is settled.

“You have to plant the right tree in the right place so that trees are not under power lines that may grow taller than those power lines may be,” Bryant said. “Trees cannot be planted too deep. It’s better to plant them slightly above ground so that the trees’ roots don’t sit in water or rot.”

Bryant also discussed the importance of removing the top one-third of a wire basket from around a tree and surrounding a planted tree with mulch.

Eastern Redbuds were given away during the event and Jefferson County 4-H provided Black Cherry, Red Oak, White Oak and Loblolly Pine seedlings. Other activities included tree climbing, a petting zoo, arts and crafts, and a slingshot and BB gun target range.

“I think [the youth] are just out having fun,” Becky Clinton, assistant Scoutmaster of Woodlawn Troop 102 said. “They learn safety measures that they might not learn if they received a BB gun at home as a gift. We’re teaching them how to shoot, push the safety down and to walk behind people.”

Ten-year-old Cody Patterson said he enjoyed tree climbing, the food and petting goats and a bunny.

“It’s been fun today,” Patterson said. “I learned you can make stuff from farms into rulers and bags, and magnets out of cardboard.”

Hannah Carbonaro, 11, agreed tree climbing was her favorite activity.

“At the beginning it was hard and going down was fun,” Carbonaro said. “I learned about recycling and the Earth.”