The city of Poplar Bluff hosted Arbor Day at Hendrickson Park on Saturday morning.
City mayor Shane Cornman opened up the event and introduced the importance of hosting Arbor Day. He was followed by Poplar Bluff Parks and Recreation’s Lanny Corcimiglia, who welcomed everyone for coming out and introduced special guests John Francis, Tree Board member; Kathern Harris, Wheatley Program coordinator; Jane Hansmann, Garden Club coordinator and hostess of the event; Judy Duncan, who presented the Arbor Day skit; and Kelvin Morant with Parks and Recreation.
Along with the people of Poplar Bluff, the children from the Wheatley Program were invited to help plant trees and learn the history behind Arbor Day. One child in particular, Carter Clayborne, volunteered to be Julius Caesar in an educational skit created by Duncan. Duncan wanted everyone to know that planting trees dated back to Roman times, and dressed Clayborne in a toga representing ancient Rome, a crown representing royalty.
Once Julius Caesar was introduced, it was time to plant trees. The city of Poplar Bluff voted to plant maple trees this year for their beautiful fall colors, bringing new aesthetics to the park. Morant asked children to help plant the three maple trees. Children in attendance helped Morant plant the three trees and learned proper tree-planting techniques.
The city of Poplar Bluff is recognized by Tree City USA, a program which was developed to celebrate towns and cities committed to growing their urban canopy. The program partners with Arbor Day Foundation, USDA Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters to provide necessary framework for communities to manage and expand their tree cover.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Arbor Day was founded by J. Sterling Morton, who was the U.S. secretary of agriculture under the President Grover Cleveland. Morton settled in the Nebraska Territory in 1854, where he was active in local Democratic politics. He had for many years urged Nebraska to set aside a day to encourage the planting of trees, and Arbor Day was first observed in April 1872 with the planting of more than a million trees. Since 1885, Arbor Day has been a public holiday in Nebraska and celebrated on April 22 in honor of Morton’s birthday. Nearly all states eventually came to observe Arbor Day, with the date varying according to local climates.