In observance of Arbor Day, the city of East Lansing is hosting its annual tree planting at 2:15 p.m. at Pinecrest Elementary School.
At the event, a selected class from the school will assist East Lansing resident and retired forester Mike Vasievich in planting the tree.
Vasievich said he has planted the city tree alongside school children on Arbor Day for nearly 20 years. He said the planting not only teaches a younger generation about tending to and respecting trees, but also about the importance of trees in an urban environment.
During the planting, Vasievich uses the children’s imagination to teach them the importance of trees. He has them imagine what East Lansing would look like without trees. After that, he asks them what the trees provide.
He said the responses are plentiful, ranging from places for birds to nest, to places for children to climb.
In recognition of East Lansing’s urban forestry efforts, the city received the Tree City USA Award for the 27th year in a row from the Arbor Day Foundation.
In addition, the foundation also awarded the city a Tree City USA Growth Award.
Environmental Services Administrator Cathy DeShambo said the Growth Award is an honor, and that the city earned it through replenishing their tree stock after many trees ?suffered from the invasive emerald ash borer, a type of beetle that destroys ash trees.
“We’ve gone above and beyond the normal guidelines to be a Tree City,” DeShambo said. “We’ve taken some extra steps to plant trees and take care of our trees.”
According to a statement from the city, Tree City USA Awards are offered to cities that have “a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.”
In the statement, John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation, said the urban forestry efforts in East Lansing displays the benefit that ?community cooperation can yield.
“Everyone benefits when elected officials, volunteers and committed citizens in communities like East Lansing make smart investments in urban forests,” Rosenow said in a statement. “Trees bring shade to our homes and beauty to our neighborhoods, along with numerous economic, social and environmental benefits.”
