By Margaret Scoles
The Broadus Tree Board and Town of Broadus are celebrating Arbor Day one week late this year. The official national Arbor Day was April 30 and that day was also declared Arbor Day in Broadus by Mayor Lyman Amsden. However, there was no school that day, so the celebration was postponed.
Broadus Elementary School is co-sponsoring the event. The celebration will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the elementary gym. Mayor Amsden will read the proclamation, followed by readings by the students. Each class has been writing poems about trees and a student will be selected from each class to read their poem. Tree Board members will be assisting each class in planting a tree along the walking path and exercise stations in Cliff Park. Cliff Park is located near B Hill, west of the Powder River Medical Clinic. The location is ideal to keep students safe as they walk to the planting locations. And to add to the celebration, Tree Board members have prepared their ever-popular tree cookies for students and staff.
Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care. National Arbor Day was founded in Nebraska by J. Sterling Morton in 1872.
The Broadus Tree Board is celebrating its 22nd year. Organized in 1998, largely on the initiative of Anne Amsden, the board applied for and received Tree City USA status in 1999. The Tree Board has applied for and received Arbor Day grants from the DNRC almost every year since then. Since then, hundreds of trees have been planted, caged, mulched, pruned, and watered. The Tree Board maintains a Tree Ordinance for the town, which is reviewed annually. This year’s trees will be purchased with an Arbor Day grant from the Montana DNRC.
Tree Board members are Kathy Roberts, Don Birkholz, Anne Amsden, Kelda Page, and Margaret Scoles. Peggy Fruit represents the Town of Broadus.
Reader Comments(0)