Marple Township Celebrates Arbor Day for the Sixth Year
Left to right: Howard Weaver, Bill Cress, and Rick Ray pose for the camera after planting a bare root Sugar Maple tree.
On April 27, 2012, with a brisk wind blowing and temperatures in the low 50s, Marple Township celebrated its Sixth Arbor Day by planting a tree. About 30 people were in attendance to watch Chairman of the Marple Tree Commission, Rick Ray, Bill Cress and Howard Weaver plant a bare root sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum ‘Celebration’) at Marple Gardens Park.
Left to right: Rick Ray, MTC Chair and Joe Freschetta, State Forester, display Marple’s new Tree City Flag.
Diana Breen, Tree Commission Vice Chairman and the person responsible for putting together Marple’s yearly application for Tree City certification, served as master of ceremonies for the festivities. First, Liz Ball, Tree Commission Secretary, presented a brief history of how Arbor Day was conceived of by J. Sterling Morton, newpaper publisher, when his family moved from New York State to Nebraska and missed the Eastern forest. His initial efforts in 1854 to promote tree planting on the plains, has inspired municipalities throughout the US and abroad to continue the effort.
Volunteers surround Marianne Price, MTC Volunteer Coordinator (center). Left to right: Anne Pierce, June Costello, Bea Hansell, & Dot Southrey, four of 19 volunteers who have watered 33 trees at Marple Gardens Park over the past three years.
Tony Hamaday, Township Manager, read the Arbor Day Proclamation, affirming the Marple’s support and recognition of the importance of trees to the health, beauty and safety of the community. Then State Forester, Joe Freschetta, officially presented a new Tree City flag to Marple Township. He discussed some of the little known benefits of trees. Did you know, for example, that trees on a college campus reduce students’ stress?
Marianne Price, the Tree Commission’s Volunteer Coordinator, recognized the nineteen volunteers who have watered 33 trees in Marple Gardens Park over the past three years. She gave the four who were present flowers and the township’s thanks for watering the new trees planted in the park over the past several years. Then the big moment, the demonstration of the correct way to plant mulch and stake a tree. William Adolph, State Representative for the 1st, 2nd, 5th (part), 6th and 7th wards in Marple Township then spoke briefly about how important trees are to Pennsylvania.
Volunteers surround Marianne Price, MTC Volunteer Coordinator (center). Left to right: Anne Pierce, June Costello, Bea Hansell, & Dot Southrey, four of 19 volunteers who have watered 33 trees at Marple Gardens Park over the past three years.
