06-05-2025
City of Galesburg celebrates Arbor Day
The City of Galesburg celebrated Arbor Day on Friday, April 25, by planting a Swamp White Oak at King Elementary School, according to a news release.
The event was held at 10:30 a.m. and featured participation from Heather Barker's fourth-grade class, along with many students, members of the Galesburg Tree Commission, and the city's forestry crew.
(The City of Galesburg)
The annual Arbor Day celebration highlights Galesburg's continued commitment to urban forestry and environmental stewardship. The city has been recognized as a Tree City USA for 25 consecutive years by the Arbor Day Foundation, and this year received the Tree City Growth Award for the seventh time — the third year in a row.
In addition to ongoing forestry efforts, Project 350, launched in 2022, continues to thrive. The initiative aimed to plant 70 trees annually in city parks and terraces over five years. The group of volunteers has planted over 480 trees in only three years and continues to plant trees throughout the city.
'This year's Arbor Day planting at King School was a wonderful reflection of our community's dedication to sustainability and environmental education,' said Don Miles, director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Galesburg. 'Involving students helps foster a lifelong appreciation for trees and their vital role in our ecosystem.'
Arbor Day, observed annually on the last Friday in April in Illinois, began in 1872 in Nebraska with the planting of more than 1 million trees. 'The City of Galesburg is proud to continue this tradition and encourages all residents to join in celebrating the value trees bring to our environment and community,' the release says.
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