Due to stay-at-home orders and school closures, the city of Glendale held its customary annual Arbor Day Celebration virtually. In past years, the celebration has included participation from elementary school students, and a ceremony with elected officials and a proclamation from the Mayor. This year’s virtual celebration, thanks to the West Coast Arborists’ donation of a tree, consisted of an addition to the Desert Valley Park. Parks staff planted the donated tree in commemoration of the occasion.
In order to keep the community involved in the celebration, the city created a video of the tree planting which also includes tree-planting tips and information on the benefit of trees in our community.
Vice Mayor Ray Malnar, whose district includes Desert Valley Park, shared this about Arbor Day, “When I first moved to Glendale 30 years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to see a large population of trees lining the streets and parks. My family and I have enjoyed the trees these many years. Ten, twenty or fifty years from now, residents will be able to enjoy the shade of the small tree planted this week at Desert Valley Park, in commemoration of Arbor Day. As Warren Buffet once said, ‘Someone is sitting in the shade today, because someone planted a tree a long time ago.’ ”
The city of Glendale has been designated as part of the Tree City USA program for 24 years running. The program is recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Arizona State Forestry Division.
View the Arbor Day video here.
For more information about the event, contact the city of Glendale Parks & Recreation Office at 623-930-2820. For more information on the Arbor Day Foundation, visit
www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa/.