Volunteers are needed on Saturday to assist with tree planting at Goebel Park in Covington, Kentucky, as part of the city’s Arbor Day celebrations. The event is a collaboration between the Kentucky Division of Forestry and Covington city officials.
The festivities will begin at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 4, with a Kentucky Arbor Day Ceremony at Goebel Park, located at 501 Philadelphia Street. The ceremony will include the planting of a memorial tree and a giveaway of 200 Bald Cypress seedlings. “Kentucky Arbor Day is an annual celebration of the importance of trees in our communities and in the commonwealth, and helps to highlight the many benefits we receive from trees and forests,” commented Brandon Howard, Director/State Forester with the Kentucky Division of Forestry.
On April 5, between 9 a.m. and noon, the Covington Urban Forestry Board will host its Spring Tree Planting event in Goebel Park. Volunteers will help plant between 25 to 30 trees in the park area. The city’s Urban Forester, Patrick Moore, highlighted the significance of these events, noting Covington’s recognition as a "Tree City" and reflecting on the effort from the community to foster urban forestry. “Planting a memorial tree in Goebel Park with Kentucky Division of Forestry on State Arbor Day is a moment to celebrate Covington’s 21 years of recognition as a Tree City, and now 3 years as a Tree City of the World,” Moore stated.
Moore has advised volunteers to bring gloves and boots, while the Urban Forestry Board will provide shovels. The initiative aims to improve community life and city aesthetics. “Volunteering to plant a tree is rewarding on many levels, but an important aspect that people forget is that the work they are doing is improving the life of people around them in the community right now as well as into the future,” Moore added.
This month, the city's Urban Forestry Board is also planning multiple seedling giveaways. These include the distribution of 300 tree seedlings to third graders in local elementary schools and 400 more at the Historic Linden Grove Cemetery & Arboretum’s Linden Day Arbor Day Celebration on April 26.