RACINE — The City of Racine has planted 20 trees at Island Park, 1700 Liberty St., in honor of Arbor Day.
About Arbor Day
The Latin origin of the word arbor translates to tree per History.com. The holiday, which began in the 1870s in Nebraska, encourages the planting, upkeep and preservation of trees. It typically is celebrated on the last Friday in April but can be celebrated at other times of the year depending on the local climates. This way, those who plant trees on Arbor Day give those trees the best chances of survival.
In light of the holiday this year, a ceremony at Island Park was held with students from Walden III, who assisted with planting the trees.
“The majority of the 20 trees were planted around the new tennis courts, with some planted elsewhere in the park to replace trees that we previously removed,” explained Matt Koepnick, Forester with the City of Racine – Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department’s Forestry Division.
Out of the 20 trees, approximately eight were planted during the ceremony on Arbor Day.
According to a newsletter from the City of Racine, they plant roughly 1,500 to 1,900 trees yearly, second only to the City of Milwaukee and likely the highest number of trees per capita in the State of Wisconsin.
But that’s not all, Koepnick shared the City of Racine is planting approximately 700 trees in total this spring, with another 450 trees to be planted in the fall.
The continuation of planting and preserving trees aligns with the City of Racine’s mission to preserve our parks and open spaces and provides essential recreational programs and cultural services in a safe, professional, and friendly manner through the PRCS program.
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