Bloomington, Ind. ~ Bloomington, Ind. - On a rainy morning of April 25, more than 40 volunteers gathered for an Arbor Day ceremony and to assist Parks and Recreation's urban forestry staff in planting 15 new trees in Olcott Park's playground area.

The event was graced by the presence of Mayor Kerry Thomson, who joined Urban Forester Haskell Smith in planting the first ceremonial tree - a 15-foot tall balled and burlapped tulip tree. Smith demonstrated the proper planting technique, and with the help of the Mayor and volunteers, the tree was successfully planted with mulch spread around it.

This year marked Bloomington's 41st consecutive year as a Tree City USA, designated by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Since 1984, Bloomington has been recognized as a Tree City USA every year. In addition to this, Bloomington was also honored for the third time as a Tree City of the World for its dedication to planting, growing, and maintaining trees for the benefit of the community.

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During the Arbor Day celebration, Parks and Recreation announced that Bryan Park had been designated as a Level 1 Accredited Arboreta by ArbNet. This interactive community of arboreta and tree professionals was founded by The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Ill., with a mission to improve urban forestry by supporting municipal tree collections and conservation efforts.

Bryan Park is not only known for its nearly 400 inventoried trees representing 60 different species but also for being home to the largest American yellowwood on city-owned property - Cladrastis kentukea. Other notable trees in Bryan Park include a specimen black oak (Quercus velutina) and several ash trees with diameters exceeding 40 inches. To protect these trees from infestation by emerald ash borers, Parks and Recreation has been routinely treating them.

For those interested in learning more about street trees in Bloomington, Parks and Recreation's Treekeeper website provides live information about individual tree species. With the city's commitment to maintaining a healthy urban forest, Bloomington continues to be a leader in promoting the importance of trees in the community.

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