Tree seedlings were sold in celebration of Arbor Day at Cullman Civic Center early Thursday morning as a fundraiser for local Forestry Awareness Week Now (FAWN) field trips for Cullman city and county sixth graders. 

District Administrative Coordinator of the Cullman County Soil and Water Conservation District Deborah Widner said the fundraiser coordinates with Arbor Day, but the funds raised go to the FAWN  field trips that occur in April and October of each year.

“We did pretty well, we brought in around $500 for the FAWN program,” Widner said. “We get the seedlings from Wallace State’s agricultural department each year and had about 2000 trees to sell. We still have more to sell and after a week or so, we will donate whatever is left to local parks.”

 Widner said the Forestry Planning Committee is made of several local development agencies and is responsible for purchasing the FAWN T-shirts for the participants. This is the 21st year for the FAWN program to take place locally.

“It costs around $6,000 to put the trips on and we have to pay for lunches for the volunteers and the shirts for all the students so we do different fundraisers throughout the year,” Widner said. “Last year, I was able to write a grant for the shirts and in 2012 we actually gave away the trees to those who lost trees during the tornado.”

Kelli Walker of Spring Hill purchased Oak seedlings early Thursday morning and said issues with the most recent severe thunderstorms caused her to lose most the trees in her yard.

 “Last week when we had the straight line winds with that storm, several of my trees fell down so I’m here so I can re-plant them,” Walker said. “It’s a good cause and this is actually my second trip this morning. I’m going to plant some Oak trees.”

Cullman City Hall hosted the first-place winners of the annual Arbor Day poster contest and Mayor Max Townson awarded them with $25 savings bonds.

West Elementary fifth-grader Rylee Campbell and St. Paul’s Lutheran School fifth-grader Sam Brand were both honored for their winning entries.

Townson also announced Cullman had been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for the 26th consecutive year. The distinction means Cullman met the foundation’s four core standards of sound urban forestry management: Maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day.

Seedlings will still be available for purchase and Widner said to contact the Cullman County Soil and Water Conservation District for more information at 256-734-1431.

The 2014 Tree sale list includes: American Beauty Berry, Bald Cyprus, Red Maple, Crepe Myrtle, Japanese Maple, Long Leaf Pine, Redbud, Sawtooth Oak, Overcup Oak, Shumard Oak, Cherry Bark Oak, Chestnut Oak, Nutall Oak, Pin Oak, Live Oak, Pond Cypress, Oakleaf Hydrangea, River Birch, Black Gum , Pitstache, Virginia Pine, and Magnolia trees.

 

* Tiffeny Owens contributed to this article.

* Lauren Estes can be reached at laurene@cullmantimes.com or 256-734-2131, ext. 137.