Carmel’s Annual Arbor Day Ceremony and Tree Planting Activities April 21, 2007

Carmel, IN – Carmel will hold its 19th annual Arbor Day Celebration at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 21st at Central Park , 1235 Central Park Drive East . The day begins with volunteer planting demonstration at 8:30 a.m., followed by a planting at 9:30 a.m. and the Arbor Day Celebration and Woodland Garden dedication at 10:30 a.m.

The Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation Department, Citizens for Greenspace (non-profit), the City of Carmel ’s Urban Forestry Committee, along with the Carmel Boy and Girl Scouts will all be partnering for the 2007 Arbor Day Celebration Tree Planting. Last year 300 trees were planted in the northwest portion of the newly constructed 161-acre Central Park . As part of this year’s celebration, 250 trees will be planted by volunteers in the in the northeast corner of Central Park to continue reforestation efforts within urban areas of the City.

More than 1,000 volunteers from the community are scheduled to help with the plantings, which will be done throughout the week of April 16th and on the morning of April 21st.

“The Arbor Day Celebration and planting is a wonderful way to bring together residents and their children in Carmel parks, but it also benefits the community for decades to come by increasing the tree canopy,” said Mayor Jim Brainard.

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The Donna Manlove Excellence in Urban Forestry Award and the Carmel Commercial Beautification Award will be presented during the Arbor Day ceremony. The City of Carmel will also receive its 13th consecutive annual Tree City USA and 11th consecutive Tree Growth Award. The ceremony will feature the reading of the official Arbor Day Proclamation by Mayor Brainard.

The Tree City USA program is designed to recognize communities that effectively manage their public tree resources and encourage the implementation of community tree management. Carmel has been a Tree City USA since 1994, and has also won many Tree Growth Awards for special projects from the National Arbor Day Foundation.

“The Arbor Day Proclamation and ceremony help remind Carmel citizens of our commitment to urban forestry and to the great importance of trees to the community as a whole,” expressed Scott Brewer, Carmel ’s City Forester.

Sponsors of Carmel ’s Arbor Day Celebration and Woodland Garden Dedication include Express Graphics, Marketpro, Nelson & Frankenberger, Schneider Engineering, Vine & Branch, Williams Architects/JJR, and Will Wright Building Corp. The ceremonies and tree planting will be filmed and then shown on Carmel ’s Government Cable Channel 16 during the month of May.

For more information about volunteering and sponsorships, please contact Sue Maki at (317) 571-2486.