Wake Forest has a love affair with trees, and that love affair will be on display Saturday, April 23, for a day-long expo, celebration and tree give-away at E. Carroll Joyner Park. It promises to be fun for the whole family.
The Arbor Day Expo and Tree Seedling Giveaway will begin at 11 a.m. when members of the town’s Urban Forestry Board, town staff and volunteers including certified tree stewards, will give out 1,000 seedlings, including Virginia Pine, Chicaswa Plum, Yellow Poplar, Crabapple and White Oak, which will be limited to one to a person. The free trees will be handed out as long as the supply lasts. Staff and volunteers will help people determine which tree or trees is best suited for their yards. People are asked to bring a reusable shopping tote or some other environmentally friendly bag for the trees. Finally, Urban Forester Jennifer and volunteers will provide information for properly planting trees.
The Arbor Day Expo featuring a number of vendors and organizations will also begin at 11 a.m. with entertainments, giveaways, information, demonstrations, refreshments and activities for all ages. Families and individuals will be able to learn about the town’s Tree Steward Program and sign up to join. They will get a stamp card at the registration table to get a stamp at each expo booth. Filled cards will be turned in for four drawings for wonderful prizes. Everyone can get a “Tree Selfie” and share why you love trees. For children, there will be a number of activities, including making a tree cookie necklace and building a birdhouse.
The Arbor Day program begins at 12:30 p.m. with Mayor Vivian Jones reading the Arbor Day proclamation and receiving two awards: The Tree City USA and Growth awards and the Tree Line USA award, both recognitions from the national Arbor Day Foundation.
Wake Forest has been a Tree City USA for 37 years and has received the Growth award for 16 years. The town meets four standards set by the Arbor Day Foundation: having a tree board or department, a community tree ordinance, a forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per resident, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. This year’s awards will be presented by the N.C. Forest Service.
This will be the second year for the Tree Line USA award, which acknowledges Wake Forest Power’s national leadership in caring for the health of trees while removing branches and limbs that grow too to close to its power lines.
“Our utility’s efforts in meeting Tree Line USA requirements – training our workers in quality tree-care practices and helping our customers plant appropriate trees near utility lines – not only helps to enhance our urban forest, but also results in long-term operation savings,” Jones said.
The day ends at 2 p.m. with a reading of Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax” by the local bookstore, Page 158 Books.
There will be food: Lumpy’s Ice Cream, Route Bistro and Mobile Cuisine, and music by @Play throughout the expo.
The exhibitors include the Wake Forest Woman’s Club, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wake Forest Urban Forestry Board, Wake Forest Tree Stewards, Wake Forest Power, Lakeview Pecans, Home Depot, Wake Forest Lions Club, N.C. Forest Service, River Hawks, Grow and Share, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Wake Forest Garden Club, Wake Forest Guild and N.C. Entomological Society.
