Students at Madison Elementary School in Manitowoc got another chance to learn more about Arbor Day.
This was the second year in a row that the City of Manitowoc held its recognition of the day at Madison Elementary, but this time with two fourth-grade classes hearing about what the city does to plant and protect its trees.
Mayor Justin Nickels asked students two questions: What is Arbor Day, and how many trees does the city have?
One student said the city could have 1,000 trees. Nickels told him he was close, but the number “needed to go way up.”
Nickels told the students that the city has around 100,000 trees, meaning for every one person, there are three trees.
The mayor then proclaimed that the city has been a member of Tree City USA for 43 years.
“We make sure that we take care of our trees by putting money into the trees,” he explained. “We plant trees. We have a tree commission made up of citizens.”
After students were told the history of Arbor Day, they watched an animated retelling of the classic Dr. Seuss book, The Lorax.
Wisconsin DNR Product Specialist Bryan Cole also presented the city with the Growth Award for their higher levels of tree management.
The 4th graders then went outside to help plant a new red oak in Lighthouse Park.
City Forester Abe Butler also provided an update on the city’s work on removing Ash Trees due to the emerald ash borer.
He noted, “We’re getting toward the tail-end of it in the terrace areas, but we have to work on our parks yet to get that issue eliminated.”
Newly named Parks and Recreation Director Brock Wettenkamp says he wants to continue the great relationship he’s had with the Forestry Division as Parks Planner.
