Bend gets Oregon Community Trees grant for Arbor Week

The non-profit Oregon Community Trees has awarded grants to eight cities across Oregon to help them hold Arbor Week events in April. Recipients of this year’s grants are Ashland, Bend, Coburg, Corvallis, Cottage Grove, Echo, McMinnville and Monmouth.

All eight have earned the Tree City USA title, reflecting their commitment to protecting and promoting urban trees to benefit their residents.

Communities plan to the use the grants in various ways. Ashland, Bend, Coburg, Cottage Grove and McMinnville have scheduled tree plantings. Plantings will involve community volunteers and students from elementary through high school.

Bend schoolchildren and members of the Orchard District Neighborhood will join forces to celebrate Arbor Week by planting a fruit tree in Hollinshead Park on April 9. The effort received a boost this week with a grant from the non-profit Oregon Community Trees to help purchase the locally grown fruit tree and supply educational brochures and prizes.

Wendy Robinson is coordinating the planting. She said students from Juniper Elementary and Pilot Butte Middle School will participate in the plantings alongside community members from the neighborhood.

“We will have tree-related activities for the kids, such as tree identification and tree trivia contests,” said Robinson. “And each student will go home with a seedling tree as a thank you for their participation.”

Members of the wider community are welcome to volunteer at the event. They can go to Bend’s city website to learn exact time and place.

Parks Superintendent Mike Oxendine with Ashland Parks and Recreation said, “Plantings during Arbor Week are an opportunity to educate participants on appropriate street tree selections for the local climate, proper planting techniques, and post-planting tree care and maintenance.”

Cottage Grove’s plantings will both celebrate its 25th anniversary as a Tree City USA as well as kick off its citywide street tree inventory.

“We hope to draw attention to the inventory project as an important tool for then reviewing our list of approved street trees,” said Cottage Grove Tree Board Member Eric Mongan. “The goal is to be better prepared for the arrival of tree-killing diseases and pests, such as emerald ash borer.”

Children in the northeast Oregon town of Echo will participate in tree-related activities, such as readings from books about trees and a poster contest. Echo is marking 30 years as a Tree City USA this spring.

Corvallis will use its grant to hold thank-you celebrations for the Parks and Recreation’s corps of Neighborhood Tree Steward volunteers. The Corvallis volunteers just wrapped up a successful season, planting a record-breaking 167 trees in Corvallis parks, open spaces and along city rights of way.

Monmouth’s grant will go to purchase an A-frame to draw attention to planting events residents can participate in, as well as a reusable banner announcing Arbor Week.

Grants Committee Chair Morgan Holen of Oregon Community Trees says the non-profit organization promotes healthy urban and community forests. “We assist community groups, local governments and schools throughout the state with expertise and grants that support leadership, education, awareness and advocacy for urban and community forestry.”

Holen said the organization gave a combined total of close to more than $3,600 in grants this year, the largest amount in its history. One criteria for receiving an Arbor Week grant is being a Tree City USA for at least a year.