Community Corner
Gower, Village Celebrate Arbor Day
As Part of Arbor Day celebrations, three new shrubs were planted at Gower Middle School Friday.
On Friday the Village of Burr Ridge celebrated Arbor Day for the fifteenth year in a row with shrub plantings at Gower Middle School.
The plantings followed a discussion led by Village Arborist Gary Gatlin, who was joined by about 15 students from the school’s environmental and garden clubs.
“I wanted to encourage the garden club and environmental club students to celebrate Arbor Day,” said Rebecca Laratta, Gower Middle School principal.
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Gatlin planted three new Green Sargent Juniper shrubs, to replace three trees that had died at Gower.
The Village has been doing Arbor Day plantings since 1991, Gatlin stated. It rotates the plantings each year among Gower, Pleasantdale Middle School, Burr Ridge Middle School and Elm School.
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This is the 15th consecutive year that Burr Ridge has been recognized by the Tree City USA® program, which the Arbor Day Foundation sponsors.
“[The program] provides direction, technical assistance, public attention, and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs in thousands of towns and cities that more than 135 million Americans call home,” according to the Arbor Day Foundation.
One of the Tree City USA® program requirements is that the Burr Ridge Village has to spend a minimum of $2 per resident, in areas that can include maintenance or planning, Gatlin said. “We spend well over that,” he said.
On Friday, Paul May, Burr Ridge’s director of Public Works, attended the planting. “I love this. It’s one of my favorite days of the year,” he said. “The students are really engaged.”
Part of why the students were interested in the tree planting was because of a question that Gatlin asked: “What are 10 important things about trees?”
The students offered a wide range of answers, including that trees stop erosion, clean the air, provide shade, are useful to animals for food or habitat, and can provide medicine, both by helping individuals feel healthier and actually providing parts of medication.
“Trees help people feel better,” Gatlin said.
He also described the disease Emerald Ash Borer, which infests ash trees across the United States, including in Burr Ridge.
Arbor Day was founded in Nebraska in 1872. It is celebrated at different times of the year in various states, including in November in Hawaii, Gatlin said. “It depends on the best time of year to plant trees.” To find out when Arbor Day falls in different states, click here.
