Tree huggers spanning the Chapel Hill community will unite over Zoom this Friday in celebration of Arbor Day, aiming to show support for their leafy friends through poetry and a special award ceremony.
The celebration, which commemorates the area’s diverse tree specimens, will be led by Mayor Pam Hemminger, staff members of the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department and the N.C. Forest Service. They will be joined by several students from Glenwood Elementary School, who will share original poems they have composed about evergreens, maples and oaks, to name a few.
“Our learning experiences this month have initiated a new appreciation and awareness of the beauty, importance and wonder of trees, not only in our community, but around the world,” said Candace Crothers, third grade teacher at Glenwood.
To crown the occasion, Mayor Hemminger will accept the Tree City USA Award from the N.C. Forest Service in recognition of the town’s “higher levels of tree care and community engagement.” Chapel Hill is one of 3,400 communities that have achieved Tree City USA status as part of a nationwide movement founded in 1976 to “green up” cities and towns.
As an Award recipient, the Town of Chapel Hill meets four core standards set by the Foundation: maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least two dollars per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day. The area “proudly maintains an extensive urban tree canopy” and “advocates for maintenance and education surrounding native trees that make our community and the world a better place,” according to the Town of Chapel Hill website.
A short video of members of the Parks and Recreation Department planting five Emerald Arborvitae trees near the Town Hall at the Stephens Street parking lot will also be featured on Friday. The baby trees, which are easily recognizable in the shape of furry green cones, are only the latest edition to a panoply of tree-planting efforts. Particularly notable among these was last year’s ambitious “200 trees for 200 years project,” which enlisted the abundant green thumbs and enthusiasm of the community to help celebrate the town government’s 200-year anniversary.
“Living in Chapel Hill, with its abundant rich foliage, it’s easy to take our beautiful trees for granted. But we should remember that not all communities are so fortunate,” said Adam Smith, Chapel Hill’s long-time arborist. “Our trees add a warmth and beauty to our town that few others enjoy.”
In Chapel Hill, Arbor Day—which officially falls on March 21—has been observed on the first Friday after Nov. 15 for nearly 20 years in order to accommodate the region’s unique environmental conditions.
“With cooler temperatures and plenty of rain in the fall, trees are better able to establish their roots and even withstand extreme heat or drought during the summer,” Smith explained.
A lush tree canopy, bustling with oaks, cedars and pines, is among the defining features of Chapel Hill, standing as a visible symbol of the town’s commitment to our environment. Residents’ ardent “love affair” with the arbor class dates back to 1889, when cutting down a tree in town was punishable as a misdemeanor and carried a $20 fine.
Among their sprawling list of benefits, trees provide wildlife habitat, erosion control and natural beauty, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. In addition, they offer tremendous advantages when it comes to absorbing carbon dioxide emissions. Like many urban communities, Chapel Hill stands at risk of the “heat island” effect, or increased temperature due to the concentration of buildings, roads and other infrastructure that tend to absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat. Trees, however, provide a natural bulwark against this effect, while also lending elegance and grace to the community.
“The true worth of a tree is hard to place a dollar value on,” said environmental science teacher Erin Shindledecker. “The ecosystem services provided by our temperate deciduous forests are necessary to the healthy functioning of our society as a whole. I’m proud to be part of a community that works to cherish and preserve the native natural environment.”
Photo courtesy of Town of Chapel Hill
