ARLINGTON — Hundreds of trees are set to be planted Saturday as part of the city’s annual Arbor Day celebration.
Arlington plans a number of Arbor Day activities, as would be expected from such as longtime participant in the national Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program.
“Trees are very important to the people of Arlington,” city parks and recreation director Sarah ÂHegge said. “For the good they do our community, trees are something to celebrate.”
Trees reduce erosion, cut heating and cooling costs by moderating temperature, provide wildlife habitat, and help clean the air. They also increase neighborhood property values and boost the economic vitality of business areas, Hegge said.
For nearly 140 years, Americans have celebrated Arbor Day by planting and protecting trees.
The first 100 people who arrive at the Arbor Day festivities at 10 a.m. Saturday at Legion Park, 114 N. Olympic Ave., can take home a filbert seedling.
The Arlington Garden Club and the Washington State University Extension Snohomish County master gardeners plan to offer short workshops on growing your own food.
The garden club plans to sell vegetable starts and perennial flowers from 9 a.m. to noon in the nearby City Hall plaza.
People can nominate their favorite tree in Arlington for the Heritage Tree program and then help plant three 7-foot weeping Alaskan cedars in Legion Park.
If that’s not enough, volunteers are needed from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to plant hundreds of native trees and shrubs as part of the Eagle Creek restoration project. The plants are provided by the city and the Stillaguamish Indian Tribe. Those who want to help are asked to park at Post Middle School, 1220 E. Fifth St., and bring a shovel.
For more information on Arbor Day in Arlington, call 360-403-3448.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427, gfiege@heraldnet.com.
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