- April 25, 2024
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Children help plant a live oak at the Environmental Discovery Center on Friday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Mayor Bill Partington speaks during the city's Arbor Day Tree Planting Ceremony at the Environmental Discovery Center on Friday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Mayor Bill Partington speaks beside Commissioners Lori Tolland, Travis Sargent, Susan Persis, and guest speaker Joan Tague. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
EDC volunteer Joan Tague speaks to the children in attendance at the city's Arbor Day Tree Planting Ceremony at the Environmental Discovery Center on Friday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
EDC volunteer Joan Tague speaks to the children in attendance at the city's Arbor Day Tree Planting Ceremony at the Environmental Discovery Center on Friday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Joan Tague leads a cheer for trees EDC volunteer Joan Tague speaks to the children in attendance at the city's Arbor Day Tree Planting Ceremony at the Environmental Discovery Center on Friday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
City Commissioners Travis Sargent, Susan Persis, volunteer Joan Tague, Commissioner Lori Tolland and Mayor Bill Partington. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
City officials and local children take part in the tree planting at the EDC on Friday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Makayla Sanford and Daisy Spraggins help plant a tree at the EDC on Friday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
City Commissioner Lori Tolland and her granddaughters Caroline and Maddie help plant a tree at the EDC. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Children help plant a tree at the EDC on Friday, Jan. 20. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
City Commissioner Lori Tolland and her granddaughters Caroline help plant a tree at the EDC. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
The city of Ormond Beach celebrated Florida Arbor Day with the planting of a new live oak tree at the Environmental Discovery Center on Friday, Jan. 20.
Florida Arbor Day, celebrated on the third Friday of January every year since 1886, encourages and promotes the planting of new trees. Environmental Discovery Center volunteer Joan Tague, who was the city's guest speaker during the ceremony, said she hopes many trees are planted all over the state.
"And I hope trees are planted every day, because trees are just a wonderful, wonderful thing," she said.
The new tree was donated by Yellowstone Landscape. Mayor Bill Partington highlighted both the city's Tree City USA designation — 2023 marks Ormond's 32nd anniversary of being a member — and the almost 150 acres that make up Central Park, within which the EDC at 601 Division Ave. is located.
"If you fly over Ormond Beach, certainly it's very green anyway, but you see this whole area which looks like a big, green postage stamp, with some lakes in the middle of it," Partington said. "It's a wonderful asset and we're very protective of it, and it's fun for us as a commission to set the policy for staff to continue to improve it for our residents."
Tague, who is also the vice president of the Halifax River Audubon, spoke to the children in attendance about the importance of trees and the role they play in the ecosystem. She challenged them to look at them closely.
"Observe and see what's going on," Tague said. "Journal, draw pictures, really understand and start asking questions about what's going on with a tree."
The National Arbor Day will be celebrated on April 28.
