This year’s State Arbor Day celebration will take place Friday, April 24 in Columbia Falls, kicking off a week long festival in the town.
The state celebration begins at 1 p.m. at Marantette Park, and will include tree planting, a presentation by the Governor’s office, performances by local school children and more.
Columbia Falls was selected by the Montana DNRC and the Montana Urban & Community Forestry Association as one of two communities to receive the 2008 Urban Forestry Excellence Award, an annual award that demonstrates exceptional commitment to urban forestry. Forsyth, Mont., was the other recipient.
“Columbia Falls earned its first-time Tree City USA status in 2008,” Jamie Kirby, urban and community forestry coordinator with the Montana DNRC, said in a press release. “They’ve established a tree board and adopted a tree ordinance, and are currently working to complete an inventory of all urban trees. Both citizens and local government have shown incredible dedication and passion for urban forestry.”
Other events throughout the week include a community cleanup day on Saturday; gardening and landscaping workshops; and a presentation Wednesday by photographer Chris Peterson titled “Confessions of a Citizen Scientist.” The festivities will culminate with a community barbeque and live music on Saturday, May 2.
For a full schedule of events and more details go to the First Best Place Task Force’s Web site, http://www.firstbestplace.org/j10/.