Nature enthusiasts looking to plant a tree in honor of Arbor Day this Friday are in luck. Multiple free events are taking place in the city this weekend to provide opportunities to plant and take home seedlings.
The City of Bloomington is holding an Arbor Day ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday at Rogers Family Park celebrating the holiday and Bloomington’s 42nd year of being named a Tree City USA.
Volunteers will assist staff in planting 23 new trees in the park and will receive free tree seedlings as long as supplies last.
Julie Ramey with Bloomington Parks & Recreation said it is important to the city to support residents’ knowledge of tree care.
“But the vast majority of trees in Bloomington are not on public land,” Ramey said. “They are on private property. So we like to give all of our Bloomington community the tools and information they need to figure out ways to plant trees on their own properties.”
More than 800 free native tree seedlings will also be given away by the Sycamore Land Trust at Bloomingfoods East and Near West from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday. Available tree species will include elderberry, redbud, persimmon, gray dogwood, ninebark, and red oak.
Bloomington Community Orchard is also hosting a Spring Planting Day from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the orchard near Winslow Woods Park.
