A welcomed respite in the winter weather made a perfect day for a tree dedication. On cue, the sun shone warmly on the arboretum for Keep Smyrna Beautiful’s (KSB) annual Arbor Day Celebration. Ann Kirk, KSB Executive Director, and Pete Wood, Smyrna City Councilman, greeted families who gathered at the gazebo on the hill to honor loved ones with a tree dedication ceremony. In total, three native Georgia trees were hand selected for inclusion into the multi-acre area reserved behind the Smyrna Community Center.
A Swamp Chestnut Oak was dedicated to Gary Wehner for his work in founding and nurturing the arboretum over ten years ago. A Southern Sugar Maple and Buttonbush shrub, named for the tiny white button-shaped flowers that bloom in spring, were also dedicated to longtime Smyrna residents. Since the city’s first Arbor Day celebration in 1990, hundreds of trees and shrubs have been planted. The arboretum is almost full. The city’s long term goal to increase the tree canopy will ensure future dedications planned in other city areas.
Traditionally celebrated nationwide on the last Friday in April, Arbor Day in Georgia coincides with the best time to plant trees in the state. Visit the Arbor Day's website for more information and tree planting instructions.
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