Celebrate Arbor Day at the Nannen Arboretum
Celebrate Arbor Day at the Nannen Arboretum
Annual Meeting and Tree Planting Ceremony, April 28th
Photo courtesy Nannen Arboretum
Arbor Day is fast approaching; this year it falls on Friday, April 28. The Nannen Arboretum will host its Annual Tree Planting Celebration - the perfect party for our Tree City USA, but this year you can expect it to be a little different. What kind of different? ellicottvilleNOW caught up with arboretum member Pat Kerl to discuss the details.
“Arbor Day is an annual observance that celebrates the role of trees in our lives and promotes tree planting and care,” Kerl explained. “The idea for Arbor Day in the United States originated in Nebraska City. J. Sterling Morton and his wife, Caroline, were lovers of nature and the home they established in Nebraska was quickly planted with trees, shrubs and flowers. In 1872, the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture accepted a resolution by Morton to ‘set aside one day to plant trees, both forest and fruit’.”
The Board declared April 10, 1872 as Arbor Day, offering prizes to the counties and individuals that properly planted the largest number of trees on that day. More than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day. J. Sterling Morton became known as the “Founder of Arbor Day.”
Shortly after this 1872 observance, other states passed legislation to observe Arbor Day each year with appropriate ceremonies. New York State celebrates Arbor Day on the last Friday in April, the 28th this year. Planting trees is an act of kindness and optimism. Trees help clean the air, beautify our neighborhoods, provide homes for wildlife, conserve energy and topsoil, and help keep the atmosphere in balance. Life is just better when we live among the trees.
As for Ellicottville’s Arbor Day, “We have a very special Annual Meeting and Arbor Day planned for this year,” said Kerl. “We will be celebrating the legacy of the founder of the Nannen Arboretum, John Ploetz. John Ploetz’s children are donating two trees for the Arbor Day planting and are hosting an Open House as part of our meeting. We will begin at 11:00am with our normal Annual Meeting and Arbor Day proclamation/planting and then transition to an Open House around noon. Posters and photographs from the early days of the arboretum will be displayed and several of the Ploetz and Nannen families as well as some of the original members of the arboretum will be available for conversation and reminiscing. Refreshments, sandwiches, cookies and drinks will be provided during the Open House which will last until 3:00pm. This all takes place in the auditorium of the Ellicottville Town Center, 28 Parkside Drive, Ellicottville NY, adjacent to the Nannen Arboretum.”
While the Arbor Day event is typically hosted by staff only, they do have a special Spring Clean-up planned at the arboretum on Saturday, April 29 and Monday, May 1 from 9:00am-noon both days. As Kerl stated, “We start with leaf and branch removal from the arboretum grounds followed by removing all the netting that was used to protect some trees/shrubs from the area wildlife. These are not long days and with many volunteers, we accomplish many tasks on the to-do list quickly. It is a great opportunity to make new friends while giving back to your community. And coffee and snacks will be available! Everyone is always welcome to participate.”
The arboretum team can always use volunteers for when their regular Monday work days begin again in May and continue through the summer into fall. Here are examples of the areas where they need your help:
• Picking up downed branches and twigs and raking leaves.
• Maintaining perennial beds including watering, weeding, mulching, planting, cutting back, etc.
• Maintaining Chapman Sanctuary and Celebration Walk including watering planters, weeding bricks and pavers.
• Maintaining the Herb Garden including setting rocks vertical as required, weeding beds, path, steps, planting herbs.
• Maintaining trees and shrubs including pruning, creating/maintaining mulch beds around trees/shrubs.
• Installing/maintaining items such as signage, benches and tasks requiring hand tools and painting bridge structure and shed structure.
When asked why she felt that this celebration was important for the community, Kerl had a lot to say. “Arbor Day is an opportunity to gather together with members of the community and acknowledge the importance of trees in our town and village,” she said. “Ellicottville has been designated as a 'Tree City USA ' for the last 41 years by the Arbor Day Foundation. The Foundation provides a framework for communities to maintain and grow their tree cover. You can see the 'Tree City USA' flag flying along the asphalt path in the arboretum. The Nannen Arboretum provides an area of nature appreciation and environmental awareness. It is a peaceful and educational area for walking and selecting trees for your home, for if it grows here, it will most likely flourish in your landscape.”
The arboretum also has great plans for the 2023 summer. Their Education Program this year will feature a speaker each quarter. They had Lyn Chimera, Erie County Master Gardener, speak on pruning in March. On May 3, 2023, Tim Baird, local retired Science teacher, will speak on the Continental Glacier and Cattaraugus County. The program will take place at 6:30pm in the auditorium of the Ellicottville Town Center. Additional presentations will be scheduled for the third and fourth quarters of the year.
Thank you, Pat, for taking the time to speak with us and for sharing such great info about the upcoming Arbor Day Celebration. Hope to see a lot of the community there!
