On April 29, the City of Mesa, along with communities across the U.S., will celebrate Arbor Day. This year is especially meaningful as it marks the 150th anniversary of the tree planter's holiday. The first official Arbor Day, celebrated in Nebraska in 1872, was created by J. Sterling Morton who came up with the simple idea of setting aside a special day for tree planting.
Mesa residents are invited to the following free, tree planting programs and tree care workshop in honor of Arbor Day:
Celebrate Arbor Day 2022 at Mesa Community College
Fri, Apr 29, 2022, | 9 am | 1833 W Southern Ave, Mesa AZ
Mesa Community College (MCC) is celebrating its new status as a Tree Campus USA and is inviting the public to help plant trees. This is a designation provided by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor colleges and universities for effective urban forest management and for engaging students and staff in conservation goals. MCC's interim college president, Dr. Lori Berquam, and City of Mesa Councilmember Francisco Heredia will be among the attendees for the opening remarks. Multiple trees will be planted, and participants should gather at the Enrollment Center on the east side of the campus.
Living Green: Trees Are Cool, Tree Care Workshop for Homeowners
Sat, Apr 30, 2022, | 1:30 - 3 pm | Red Mountain Library | 635 N Power Rd Mesa AZ
Learn about the benefits of trees for your landscape, for our communities, and for the planet. The program will cover proper tree selection, placement, watering, pruning, and more. The hands-on portion of this fun workshop will be an opportunity to participate in an Arbor Day tree planting in the Monarch Haven and Reading Sanctuary garden. The program includes a short overview of the Mesa Climate Action Plan and how urbanforests take on even more importance as we look to trees to provide solutions for many of our ambitious climate action goals.
Celebrating 12 Years as a Tree City USA
Mayor John Giles issued an Arbor Day Proclamation designating Friday, April 29 as Arbor Day. This is just one of the requirements of being named a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation. The City of Mesa has been awarded the designation since 2010 to honor its commitment to planting and caring for community trees. Becoming a Tree City USA provides cities with direction, technical assistance, and public attention about trees and the importance of urban forests.
Additional Tree Initiatives / Arbor Day Programs
West Mesa River Community Heat Action Project
This grant funded project began in 2020 and will finish up next month. Grant dollars from a U.S. Forest Service and Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management were administered and leveraged by Rio Reimagined with Arizona State University (ASU). The West Mesa River neighborhoods were identified as a study area due to social vulnerability and extreme heat impacts. The project encouraged community input to identify ways to cool outdoor spaces that could provide heat relief. Many of the ideas included natural solutions such as tree planting. Additional grant partners include the Arizona Sustainability Alliance, Unlimited Potential, Great Communities CDC, and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, as well as generous support from Salt River Project, Meta, and Bank of America. Thanks to the project, more than 300 trees, 3 pollinator gardens, and numerous shrubs have been planted in west Mesa at public schools, city parks, local churches, and residential neighborhoods since last October.
Arbor Day Partnership with Mesa Public Schools
Working with Mesa Public Schools, Mesa Mayor John Giles and Councilmembers Freeman, Heredia, and Luna will be reading "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss to select third-grade students at Mesa schools. First published in 1971, "The Lorax" chronicles the plight of the Lorax who speaks for the trees against mindless environmental destruction and greed. It has become a popular metaphor for those concerned about the human impact on the environment. All third-grade teachers have the option to share a pre-recorded video of councilmembers, the mayor, and other staff reading "The Lorax" as well.
More About Arbor Day
Arbor Day celebrates and promotes the significant role trees play in our urban environments. Not only do trees help clean the air and water, but even more importantly, they provide shade that helps to create cooler, walkable connections from neighborhoods to school, work, or transportation routes. By celebrating Arbor Day, we show that our community values trees not just for their beauty but for their numerous health and environmental benefits.
To learn more about Arbor Day and all the tree events happening in Mesa, visit mesaaz.gov/arborday.
Contact: Mariano Reyes
(480) 644-5005
Mariano.Reyes@mesaaz.gov