In 2003, the City of Rochester held its first annual Arbor Day event on the front sidewalk of the Rochester Public Utilities office on East River Road. This event was born of the passion of Jay Maier, Sargent’s General Manager, and Patty Hanson from RPU, for improving the City’s urban forest.

 

In that first event there were about 100 free tree seedlings given away by the DNR to a total of 100 people who showed up, most of whom were just by chance passing by on their way into the RPU building! In the coming years, the event grew in popularity, moving to Central Park on 1st Ave. NW, just north of what now is the Jacobson building. Later it moved to the back lawn of the Mayo Civic Center, then years later to Silver Lake Three Links Park.

 

Over the last 18 years, we have given away 30,000 tree seedlings, have had nearly 20,000 students attend the event, have reviewed over 8,000 Arbor Day poster entries, have awarded over 90 poster winners, and have planted about 20 Arbor Day trees at elementary schools around Rochester! Hopefully, the greatest feat of this time is the inspiration of thousands of young minds to know that trees are terrific in so many ways.

 

National Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April every year. What are we really celebrating? The benefits of trees; the clean air, the shade, the home for wildlife, the energy savings, the increased property values, the street calming, the lower rates of crime, the carbon sequestration and more. Trees make a difference. Let’s plant them. Let’s care for them. Let’s protect them.

 

While the typical celebration will once again look different this year, you are invited to join us Friday, April 30th from 11am-1pm at Silver Lake Park – Three Links to pickup a FREE Bur Oak seedling! Head to RPU’s website for more information regarding the event and planting of your new tree.