MURPHY (November 30, 2011) Mayor Bret Baldwin and the Murphy City Council proclaimed Nov. 19, 2011 Arbor Day in Murphy. The proclamation declaring the day devoted to the study and appreciation of trees in the City was spearheaded by the Green Team, the interdepartmental employee committee dedicated to the Keep Murphy Beautiful effort, according to Kim Lenoir, Parks and Public Works Director.
“The proclamation of Arbor Day is the final of the four requirements necessary for Murphy to qualify for Tree City USA designation from the National Arbor Day Foundation,” she said. “It’s also an important aspect of our Keep Murphy Beautiful campaign. Murphy is fortunate to have a citizenry that appreciates the benefits of nature, and Arbor Day is a perfect fit for the City because of the emphasis on the beauty and indispensable necessity of trees,” she said.
At their Nov. 15 meeting, the City Council issued a proclamation officially setting Nov. 19 as Arbor Day in the City for the current year. It read, in part, “The City Council agrees that trees in our city increase property values, enhance the economic vitality of business areas, and beautify our community.”
The inaugural celebration officially recognizing Arbor Day in Murphy was held at 1 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the Murphy Community Center, right before the annual Park Tour, put on by the Parks and Recreation Board. The Park Tour is an annual review of the progress made at the various public spaces throughout the City. Bur Oak acorns were distributed to participants in the Arbor Day celebration, and recipients were asked to plant them in the hope that a tree would grow.
“In commemoration of Arbor Day, participants of the Park Tour paid particular attention to the trees and considered their health status as a result of the record heat and summer drought,” said Lenoir. For more information on trees and their care, visit www.arborday.org.
It was particularly fitting to have the City’s initial Arbor Day Celebration at the Murphy Community Center, because the landscaping contractor for the new center will be planting its trees in the very near future.
Among the new trees and bushes at the center will be seven Nellie R. Stevens hollies, three Chaste trees, 18 Cedar Elms, seven Live Oaks, four Chinese Pastiches and 17 Dallas Red Crape Myrtles.
Also part of the Arbor Day festivities, the Green Team is encouraging fourth and fifth grade students to enter the “Trees are Terrific…from Acorn to Oak” poster contest put on by Keep Texas Beautiful and the Texas Forest Service. The poster contest is part of a statewide program designed to teach children, through basic classification skills, to recognize unique characteristics that separate oaks from other trees. Local elementary schools are encouraged to visit the Keep Texas Beautiful web site at www.ktb.org and download the details for the contest. The deadline for poster submissions is Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. The winning student will receive a $500 savings bond and a year-long family pass for Texas state parks, as well as a framed copy of his or her poster and an invitation to the Texas Arbor Day ceremony on Friday, April 27, 2012. The winning teacher will receive a personal iPad and $250 to go toward classroom supplies. The winning school will receive $250 for environmental books or supplies and a tree planted on the campus as part of an Arbor Day celebration.
“I think it’s significant that the Proclamation read by Mayor Baldwin urged all citizens to celebrate Murphy Arbor Day and to support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands. Murphy has, in many ways, already demonstrated its love of nature, and this is just another expression of that connection,” concluded Lenoir.