MILWAUKEE — The Department of Public Works (DPW), city officials, and community partners gathered Friday morning for the City of Milwaukee’s 55th Arbor Day celebration.
Arbor Day is a day of observance and appreciation for trees. Trees are usually planted on this day each year.
DPW’s Milwaukee Forestry in partnership with Black Husky Brewing, Riverworks Development Corp. and La Escuela Fratney hosted the tree-planting ceremony at the Beerline Trail – behind 526 E. Concordia Ave.
Over the past two years, WisDOT has planted nearly 5,000 trees on improvement projects and along roadsides.
It's #ArborDay, a great day to get out and plant a tree. #WisDOT planted nearly 5,000 trees on improvement projects, along roadsides, and at rest areas over the last two years. pic.twitter.com/2b6t3TZUwS
— Wisconsin DOT (@WisconsinDOT) April 30, 2021
City Arborists like Jamie Jastrab care and maintain for nearly 190,000 trees and for the 42nd consecutive year, Milwaukee is designated as a 'Tree City USA'.
Jastrab said Arbor Day allows people to focus on all the things that we get from trees.
"Just think of shade and just the comfort of watching birds in trees and squirrels in trees. It brings nature into the urban area, which I think is very important," Jastrab said.
Among all the organizations that collaborated for Arbor Day, students from La Escuela Fratney joined virtually.
"We teach our students the value of spending time in nature and teach them to consider and act on ways they can make a difference," Assistant Principal La Escuela Fratney Sara Cruz said.
Once a tree is planted, the work is far from over. Arborists will have to come back and nurture the tree to make sure it grows properly.
"Every six years we will go to every tree in the city and prune it," Jastrab said. "When we prune it, we do a total inspection of the tree to make sure it's growing properly."
All this hard work, because we rely on trees not only to breathe but to connect generations to come.
