In 1926 – 54 years after Arbor Day was first observed in Nebraska to recognize the contributions of trees and forests – that holiday became an official day of observance in Mississippi, and has since been celebrated on the second Friday in February each year.
On February 9, officials from the City of Hattiesburg continued their tradition of participating in that measure, with tree plantings held at Thames Elementary School on Jamestown Road and Gordon’s Creek Fruit Orchard on West Street, near Oseola McCarty Park.
“The number one thing (about this) is to recognize the importance of trees,” said Darren Brinkley, who serves as division manager of Urban Forestry for the City of Hattiesburg. “But they’re also nice to look at; they provide shade, give habitat for our creatures and help with erosion control and stormwater control.
“A lot of times in the past, when a development comes through, it’s wiped out all the trees. So this is just to bring up a new generation of young kids, letting them know the importance of trees – temperature control or habitat for our animals and for our oxygen. We can’t just be cutting down trees and not replacing them.”
At Thames Elementary, members of the fourth and fifth grade Beta Club helped plant a Live Oak, where city officials and arborists taught the children how to properly install the tree at the site. The students were then taught the importance of trees in the environment, including providing oxygen and filtering out contaminants from the air.
“At that particular spot, there was a sign for the fitness trail, and to the left of that sign there was a live oak that’s probably about 25 or 30 years old,” Brinkley said. “And live oaks are my particular favorite tree, so that played a little bit into it as well.
“And they have a long lifespan.”
After leaving Thames Elementary, officials headed over to Gordon’s Creek Fruit Orchard, where Mayor Toby Barker and the tree crew joined the North Main Neighborhood Association and the Hawkins Elementary Beta Club in planting three new pear trees on the property.
“(The children) had a blast, and I had a blast,” Brinkley said. “Everybody had fun, I think.”
During the event, Barker issued a proclamation, which stated, in part, “Hattiesburg has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation for over three decades, demonstrating our commitment to preserving, protecting and planting trees in our community.”
It was a beautiful day to celebrate Arbor Day and the planting of four new trees in Hattiesburg, continuing to live out our designation as a ‘Tree City USA.’”
Hattiesburg is one of more than 3,400 communities across the nation that is designated as a Tree City USA community, as it meets four criteria established by the Arbor Day Foundation: the city maintains a tree or board department, has a community tree ordinance, spends at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrates Arbor Day.
“This is our 32nd year of being Tree City USA,” Brinkley said.
The first official Arbor Day Celebration was held in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1882, and two new elements were entered into observance. First, the day was declared a school festival; second, the practice of planting a memorial tree was inaugurated.
These new developments were largely responsible for the acceptance of Arbor Day over the rest of the United States. For Arbor Day 2024, Gov. Tate Reeves proclaimed February 9 as Arbor Day and the following week, February 9-16, as Tree Planting Week.
