By Lauren Young
The Village of Fayetteville celebrated its 18th year as a “Tree City USA” during an Arbor Day celebration on April 27 with the children at Creative Environment Day School.
Starting April 1, students began learning about Arbor Day and the importance of being eco-friendly, said Assistant Director Joan Raven.
“The children were inspired through their awareness and appreciation for the earth’s environment through the many activities they did in and out of their classrooms throughout the week,” said Director Sheila Brittain in a newsletter.
Return performer Mr. Sunflower sang songs about recycling and being kind to the environment with tunes like “Celebrate Our Earth” along with classics like “America the Beautiful.”
Children at the school made their own hats and “trees” for the day, and every child was sent home with a White Spruce seedling, complimentary of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation School Seedling Program.
Fayetteville trustee Mike Small read the proclamation, declaring Fayetteville as a “Tree City USA” for the 18th consecutive year. Afterwards, John Graham, a forester with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, presented the village with a commemorative flag.
“Fayetteville is being recognized because it’s a great place to live, and there’s a lot of people who work really hard to take care of the trees in the Village of Fayetteville,” said Graham.
The flag will soon be displayed near Grover’s Table in Fayetteville.
This is the 148th year the village has celebrated Arbor Day, dating back to 1872, to celebrate the planting of trees.
