The City of Battle Creek and Boy Scout Troop #265 will celebrate National Arbor Day this Friday with a tree planting in Monument Park.
Troop #265, from Galesburg, will plant a Redpointe maple tree at 5 p.m. Friday. Monument Park, which honors Sojourner Truth, is between Hamblin Avenue, Division Street, and East Michigan Avenue at the edge of downtown.
Mayor Dave Walters and city staff will attend.
Battle Creek has been designated as a Tree City USA for 16 years by the Arbor Day Foundation. The city is one of 123 in Michigan currently designated by the Tree City USA Program.
Communities earn the status by meeting Arbor Foundation standards of sound urban forestry management – maintaining a tree board or department, having a tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and celebrating Arbor Day.
At the April 18 City Commission meeting, Mayor Walters read a proclamation declaring this week Arbor Week, encouraging the community to care for the community’s trees. View a clip of Walters reading the proclamation, and Field Services Operations Foreman Phil Lahr encouraging care for trees on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/ci7zp97Jroo.