COLLEGE STATION, Texas —Texas A&M Forest Service foresters and staff celebrated Texas Arbor Day today with school presentations, tree plantings, and tree giveaways across the state.
Over 10,100 tree seedlings were given to students and community members throughout the day.
More than 70 Texas A&M Forest Service employees made Texas Arbor Day presentations at 31 schools and organizations. The presentations reached more than 6,900 students at campuses in Baytown, Chilton, Copperas Cove, Dallas, El Paso, Gladewater, Killeen, Laguna Vista, Longview, Marshall, Manvel, Mesquite, Mexia, Moulton, Palacios, Palestine, San Antonio, San Benito, Stonewall, Tyler, and Waco.
“Texas Arbor Day is a special day to celebrate trees and the benefits they provide, benefits like clean air, clean water, cooler temperatures, and even improved health,” said Gretchen Riley, Texas A&M Forest Service Forest Interim Management Chief. “What better place to talk about the importance and value of trees than with the next generation of stewards.”
Along with presentations, Texas A&M Forest Service staff planted 3-gallon-sized trees on school campuses and gave students over 7,000 bur oak, chinkapin oak, escarpment oak, overcup oak, Afghan pine, and loblolly pine seedlings.
The presentations, customized to the students’ grade levels, explained the life cycle of trees, the many benefits trees provide humans and our economy and the history of Texas Arbor Day.
Mac Martin, Texas A&M Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program Leader, said Texas Arbor Day is about more than planting trees, it serves as a reminder that our lives are connected to forests and the trees around us.
“Trees and forests are integral to the daily lives and values of all Texans. They influence everything from our health and the economy to culture and recreation,” said Martin. “We protect what we cherish, and we can only cherish what we understand. By sharing conservation and tree education with schools and students throughout the state, we are cultivating a brighter future for both our forests and the residents of Texas.”
Separately, over 2,400 Shumard oak, live oak, escarpment oak, Mexican white oak, southern red oak and bur oak seedlings were given away to community members across the state at 21 Texas A&M Forest Service offices.
In Dallas, 600 mature trees were planted at the Great Trinity Forest Gateway Park and Horse Trail in a Green Futures corporate sustainability partnership coordinated by Texas A&M Forest Service.
The tree-planting project is an effort to address the impacts of the emerald ash borer (EAB) pest affecting the greater Dallas area and Great Trinity Forest. EAB is a highly invasive pest that specifically targets ash trees, causing significant damage and often leading to tree mortality. In the Great Trinity Forest, ash trees comprise a significant percentage of the forest’s canopy. By introducing a wider variety of native trees, the project aims to strengthen the forest ecosystem, mitigate flooding at the park, and improve water quality in the nearby Trinity River.
The project is sponsored by PepsiCo and was made possible with partners from the Texas Conservation Alliance, Trinity-Blacklands Urban Forestry Council, and City of Dallas Drinking Water Utility.
Each year, Texas celebrates Arbor Day on the first Friday of November, increasing awareness of the benefits and value of trees. This year’s theme is Treet Texas Well.
Texas Arbor Day partners include the Texas Forestry Association and the Texas Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.
For details about the history of Arbor Day in Texas, visit tfsweb.tamu.edu/arborday.
For Texas Arbor Day photos, visit https://agrilife.photoshelter.com/galleries/C00004ctr0uNLkTQ/G0000Rpd8MU7x8m0/Texas-Arbor-Day-2024.
