WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) – The Williams City Council last week declared March 9 as Arbor Day in the City of Williams to encourage schools, organizations, and individuals to plant trees.
Arbor Day, which is commonly observed on April 12 in the United States, is celebrated the week of March 7-14 in California, the best time for planting trees.
The City of Williams celebrates the occasion annually with an official proclamation to educate the public on the benefits of trees and hosts a tree planting day.
“This year, we selected March 9 at Redinger Park for a community event where we can plant some trees,” said Williams Public Works Director Colt Esenwein. “The reason we selected Redinger Park is because we lost a lot of trees, and there are a lot more trees that we are going to lose. We want to plant new trees that will take over for the old ones that we are going to be pulling out.”
According to the proclamation, trees can be a solution to climate change, cut cooling costs, clean the air, produce life-giving oxygen, and provide wildlife habitat.
Locally, trees increase property values, enhance the economic vitality of the business area, and help beautify the community, city officials said.
The city council on Feb. 21 authorized Esenwein to spend $2,500 on trees and offer them free to the public to plant.
Esenwein had only requested $1,000, which would cover the cost of about 14 trees, but Mayor Don Parsons suggested the city invest more, due to the need to plant more trees.
“We lost a lot of trees already and it will help within the city,” Parsons said.
Residents who request a tree to plant in their yard will also be given instruction on its care.
The Colusa Rotary Club and the Colusa Parks, Recreations, and Tree Commission will also begin the spring tree planting in Colusa in March.
The Rotary Club, which purchases trees twice a year for city parks and for residents to plant in their mow strips, partnered with the city on a “Trees for Tomorrow” several years ago, with the goal of planting 100 trees by 2025, the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Colusa.
So far, more than 70 new trees have been planted.
The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit organization that prompts urban forestry to address climate change, community, and biodiversity issues. It has more than 1 million members and has planted more than 500 million new trees worldwide in 50 years and plans to plant 500 million more, according to its website.