The club met at the Arboretum on Friday March 26 for our annual Arbor Day Program. The program was opened by John Davis who asked a number of extended questions of Bob Harbicht, Sho Tay, Jason Lee, Bob Daggett and Joel Shawn about Arbor Day. It turns out that there is no national arbor day, it varies by state.  For example in California we have an Arbor week (March 7-14) our state tree is the Redwood.  Texas Arbor day is last Friday in April (state tree Pecan). South Carolina’s Arbor Day (state tee is Cabbage Palmetto) is the first Friday in December!!  After these little know facts John introduced our member and CEO of the Arboretum Richard Schulhof as the day’s speaker.

Richard revealed that the tree we were going to plant was a “Joy Perfume Tree” (Michelia Champaca), while about 10 feet today it will grow to be 25-30 feet when it matures. Richard pointed out that the City of Arcadia is a TREE CITY USA, a program sponsored by the national Arbor Day Foundation and supported by the US forest service. In 1993, we became one of over 3,400 US cities committed to their urban forests.

To be a TREE CITY USA the City of Arcadia did the following:
1. Established a Tree Board – the Arcadia Tree Commission.
2. Established a tree care Ordinance. The city’s comprehensive tree management program cares for over 17,000 city trees through the Public Works Department
3. Created a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita (amounts to about $120,000 a year).
4. Annually conducts an Arbor Day Observance and issues an Arbor Day Proclamation.

We learned that trees ameliorate extreme weather, make our communities safer, reduce pollution of just about ever sort, trees help make us more money (in increased property value), but perhaps most importantly trees imply make us feel healthy and good.  There are all kinds of research that says the sick heal faster when around trees, children struggling with emotional difficulties are calmed by trees, and that our sense of health and happiness is enhanced by these beautiful organisms.

The last portion of the program was conducted by four Arboretum employees in the proper manner of planting trees. Some things we learned are to never yank the tree upright out of its pot.  Always lay it down on its side and ease it out of the container. Make sure that the hole is deep enough to cover the root ball. Water the pot the night before as it will take time for the root ball to expand to begin taking water out of the soil. When it is lower into the hole compact is gently. Use some compost or composted manure if needed.