Community Rallies around Arbor Day Celebration

Initiative Objective

Casa Grande, AZ (March 6, 2013) – For the fourth year in a row, the Grande Valley Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is coordinating the Community Arbor Day Tree Planting for the City of Casa Grande.
This year’s event will take place at 11 a.m. on March 15 in Peart Park. Mayor Jackson said, “As a city recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation we welcome the opportunity to work with our community partners to observe Arbor Day and educate our community and youth about smart conservation policies.”
The City of Casa Grande has been recognized for the last five years by the National Arbor Day Foundation for its policies of sound urban forestry management. Currently, the community is one of only 20 cities in Arizona that holds the distinction of being a “Tree City USA.”
The history of Arbor Day began in 1872 on April 10th. It was said that several thousand trees were planted in that first effort.
Ann Dessert, Chairman of the DAR Conservation Committee and the Casa Grande Arbor Day Celebration said, “In Arizona, we celebrate Arbor Day in March to give trees a good start before the hot weather sets in. This is our fourth year partnering with the City of Casa Grande and the community. We are thrilled to have Mayor Jackson officiating and several of our local schools sending children to help actually plant the tree.”
Also participating in this year’s ceremony is Richard Gibson, an Extension Agent at the University of Arizona, Pinal County Cooperative Extension Office. Mr. Gibson is an agricultural educator whose interests are in Commercial Horticulture, Gardens and Landscapes and Agricultural Issues Programming.
This year’s Arbor Day tree will be a sissoo provided by the Avocado Nursery. Gibson explains, “The sissoo tree, sometimes called the Indian teakwood is a member of the legume family. It is well adapted to the warm deserts of Pinal County, although occasionally the foliage is damaged by frost. The good news is that it recovers quickly in the spring.”
Several local schools will participate in the day’s events including the Casa Grande Middle School Mariachi Ensemble. The group will be performing a variety of traditional mariachi songs throughout the event.
Joyce Wold, regent for the Grande Valley DAR said, “Participation in this event grows every year. The Arbor Day Tree Planting is just one more reminder why we live where we live; conservation and the environment are an important part of life in our community.”