The City of Galesburg celebrated Arbor Day by planting three trees at the newly constructed Galesburg Public Library on Friday, April 26, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. The new trees, ivory silk lilacs, will be part of the landscaping near the main entrance on the south side of the library.
The planting of trees on Arbor Day symbolizes the commitment to effective urban forestry management, which the City of Galesburg incorporates into the daily priorities of the city. As a result of ongoing efforts, including maintaining a Tree Commission, having a tree care ordinance, dedicating an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and hosting an Arbor Day observance and proclamation, the City of Galesburg has been annually recognized as a Tree City USA for the last 24 consecutive years and received the Tree City Growth Award for the last two years.
In addition, to further the city’s commitment to planting and maintaining trees, Project 350 was launched in 2022. The initiative aims to plant 70 trees per year in Galesburg parks and city terraces over a five-year period. The project is ahead of schedule, with 332 trees planted to date.
“The City of Galesburg is proud to cultivate and maintain trees in our community and parks, which positively add to the landscape of our community, and increase the quality of life,” said Tom Simkins, Special Projects Coordinator for the City of Galesburg, who spearheads Project 350. “Arbor Day provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the positive effects of trees on our community and environment, and we hope community members will join us for the ceremonial tree planting.”
The last Friday in April is annually selected as Arbor Day in Illinois. Arbor Day was first observed in Nebraska in 1872 with the planting of more than one million trees and is now observed throughout the nation and the world. The City of Galesburg is pleased to be able to recognize Arbor Day through the planting of trees and encourages community members to attend the tree planting event at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 26, 2024, at the Galesburg Public Library, 264 W. Main Street.
***Courtesy of the City of Galesburg***
