The City of Concord’s Arbor Day is celebrated each year on the last Friday in October. This year, Mayor Bill Dusch and City Manager Lloyd Payne commemorated the event with the planting of Black Gum and Zelkova trees at the new ClearWater Ceramics Center. Native plants that attract and support local pollinators like butterflies were also planted.
As one of the fastest growing, and tenth largest city in North Carolina, Concord is committed to responsible growth and urban development that recognizes the value and importance of a healthy tree canopy. The city’s Buildings and Grounds Department maintains a 2:1 goal of planting two new trees for every tree removed. Additional trees will be planted on city property in the coming fall and winter months to achieve this goal while also helping to reduce the loss of tree canopy across the city.
Earlier this year, Concord earned its third consecutive Tree City USA designation by meeting the program’s four core standards: a tree conservation board or department; a tree care ordinance; an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita; and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
Residents are encouraged to join the city’s efforts by participating in the Memorial Tree Program. This program allows residents to purchase and donate a tree in honor of a loved one or commemorative event. The city will plant Memorial Trees that were purchased over the summer, and any newly purchased trees, beginning in November and continuing through February as this is the optimal tree planting season for the Southeast United States.
Additionally, the city recently partnered with the Creation Care team at All Saints Episcopal Church and the Arbor Day Foundation to give away 200 free trees to Concord homeowners through the Energy Saving Trees program. Homeowners who secured a free tree through this program will pick up their trees on Saturday, October 29, at All Saints Episcopal Church. At the pickup, residents will also have the opportunity to learn from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension master gardeners on how to properly plant and care for their trees.
Anyone interested in learning more about choosing the right tree for the right place, and proper planting, care, and maintenance, can visit treesaregood.org/treeowner.