Trees Atlanta announces plans for Georgia Arbor Day 
Lineup Includes Planting and Educating About Trees, Photography Exhibit and More 

ATLANTA, Ga. (February 2, 2010) – Trees Atlanta announced plans for its 25th Georgia Arbor Day celebration today. Opportunities for all ages will take place throughout the month of February and will peak on the actual Arbor Day holiday, Friday, February 19th. 

Arbor Day is a holiday for individuals, schools, civic clubs, and other organizations to reflect on the importance of trees. Arbor Day was founded in Nebraska in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton. Quoting Morton, “Other holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the future.” Each state has its own Arbor Day depending on the best time to plant trees. In Georgia, our ideal planting season runs November - March, so we celebrate Arbor Day each year on the third Friday in February. National Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday of April. 

“Georgia’s Arbor Day is a time for us to pause and recognize that trees are part of our lives and communities,” said Trees Atlanta’s Executive Director, Marcia Bansley. She added, “Getting your hands dirty by planting or caring for a tree is a fitting way to celebrate. Trees Atlanta hosts a variety of programs and projects so you can do just that.”

Trees Atlanta’s Georgia Arbor Day lineup will include tree-related events for all ages, including tree planting activities, city-wide neighborhood arboreta projects, educational school programs, seedling giveaways, a big tree contest, and a photography exhibit and contest. Schedule highlights include:

Throughout February: Tree-themed activities at five Atlanta Public Schools located along the Atlanta BeltLine. These presentations will feature interactive activities by Tim Womick (in partnership with the Georgia Forestry Commission) and the Alliance for Climate Education. Each program will be followed by a tree planting. 

Friday, February 19th, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Trees Atlanta will host “Focus on Trees: Photography of Kathryn Kolb and David Knox” at the Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center, 225 Chester Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30316. The reception is free and open to the public, and the exhibit will run through April. Trees Atlanta will also announce its “My Favorite Tree” photo contest at the reception. Both are sponsored by the Georgia Forestry Commission (please see disclaimer at www.treesatlanta.org). 

Friday, February 19th and Saturday, February 20th, 9:00 a.m. to Noon: Trees Atlanta will host Seven Tree Projects for Seven Neighborhood Arboreta. Volunteers will fan out to Inman Park, Virginia-Highland, Midtown, Sylvan Hills, Oakhurst and Reynoldstown/ Cabbagetown to plant and care for trees and install educational granite markers. Volunteers are invited to the Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center, 225 Chester Avenue, SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 after the projects on Saturday for a celebration and luncheon. 

Atlanta’s Champion Tree contest, offering the chance to nominate trees that are believed to be the biggest of their kind within I-285. 

Distribution of a total of 400 seedlings at North DeKalb Mall, Whole Foods Market on Ponce deLeon, Atlanta Public Schools, and other locations. The seedlings are courtesy of Smurfit-Stone Container Corp, and distribution dates vary. 
Friday, February 19th and Saturday, February 20th, 9:00 a.m. to Noon: Trees Atlanta will host Seven Tree Projects for Seven Neighborhood Arboreta. Volunteers will fan out to Inman Park, Virginia-Highland, Midtown, Sylvan Hills, Oakhurst and Reynoldstown/ Cabbagetown to plant and care for trees and install educational granite markers. Volunteers are invited to the Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center, 225 Chester Avenue, SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 after the projects on Saturday for a celebration and luncheon.

“We are offering something for everyone this Arbor Day,” said Bansley. “No matter what your age or whether you are a morning or evening person, we’ve got a great way for you to say ‘thank you’ to the trees that make Atlanta home,” she concluded. She also noted that each tree planted and cared for on Arbor Day helps clean our air and water, connect and beautify our communities, provide homes for wildlife, conserve energy, prevent soil erosion, and more.

For more information about Trees Atlanta and an up-to-the-minute list of Trees Atlanta’s Georgia Arbor Day programs and events, visit www.treesatlanta.org or call 404-522-4097.