On Thursday, Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs proclaimed the week of February 20-26, 2022, Arbor Week, in the City of Cullman.

Arbor Day began in 1872 when J. Sterling Morton proposed to the Nebraska Board of Agriculture that a special day be set aside for the planting of trees. This holiday, called Arbor Day, was first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska, and is now observed throughout the nation and the world. In Alabama, Arbor Week is recognized each year during the last full week of February.

Upon receiving the official Arbor Week proclamation from Jacobs, Charles Chandler, who assumed the role of City Arborist in October 2021 following the retirement of Darrell Johns, thanked Jacobs and introduced himself, saying: “I am a registered forester but I’m retired from the timber industry,” said Chandler. “I have some things to learn still about being an arborist, but I’m enjoying my new position so far.”

In conjunction with Arbor Week each year, local fifth graders participate in the Arbor Day Poster Contest. This year’s poster contest them was “Trees are Terrific … and Energy Wise!” Posters are judged at each school and winning posters from all schools are then judged at the state level. In addition, the City of Cullman awards second place poster winners $15 and first place poster winners $25. This year, three schools participated in the contest: Cullman Christian School, Sacred Heart Catholic School, and St. Paul’s Lutheran School.

“This is the part I look forward to,” said Jacobs. “All of the other stuff is important, but to have the kids participating in this poster contest and learning about the value of trees in our community is what it’s all about. We know with everything that’s going on this year, and the past couple of years, it’s a bit tougher on teachers so we appreciate all of the schools that participated this year.”

Second place winners in the poster contest were Maylie Smothers of Cullman Christian School, Caroline Sanders of Sacred Heart Catholic School, and Sipsey Drake of St. Paul’s Lutheran School. Maylie and Sipsey were unable to attend, but Caroline received her certificate and $15 check from Jacobs.

First place winners in the poster contest were Lily Kate Powell of Cullman Christian School, Jordyn Black of Sacred Heart Catholic School, and Libby James of St. Paul’s Lutheran School. Libby was unable to attend, but Lily Kate and Jordyn received their certificates and $25 checks for Jacobs.

“I am so thankful to these kids for participating in the poster contest,” said Jacobs. “Trees are very important, and this is a great way to teach that lesson. The City of Cullman tries to be a great steward of our trees. We plant many more than we cut down.”

In addition to the Arbor Day Poster Contest, the annual Tree Sale was held on Saturday, February 19th, at the North Alabama Agriplex, hosted by the Cullman County Natural Resources Planning Committee. Ten tree and six shrub species were sold, with all proceeds benefiting the Cullman County Forestry Awareness Week Now (FAWN) school program for 6th graders and FFA Forestry judging contest.

TREE-CITY DEDICATION

Cullman was recently named a Tree City USA for the 34th consecutive year by the Arbor Day Foundation! Cullman achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: Having a tree commission; having a tree care ordinance; having an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita; and, having an annual Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Mary Claire Smith with the Alabama Forestry Service, who is from Cullman, but has been working as a Forester in Jefferson County, will be joining Forestry Specialist Jason Downs in the Cullman office on March 1, 2022 following the retirement of long-time Forestry Specialist Albert Mayo.

“I am excited about going to work here in Cullman and am proud to present these Tree City materials today,” said Smith. “In Jefferson County, I’m not used to seeing numbers this large, so 34 years is a great accomplishment.”

Smith presented the Tree City “34 Years” stickers and the new Tree City flag to Jacobs.

“I know we’re not the oldest Tree City in the state, but we’ve maintained Tree City status a really long time,” said Jacobs.

Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation, sent the following statement: “Tree City USA communities benefit from the positive effects that an urban tree canopy has year after year. The trees being planted and cared for by Cullman ensure that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life. Additionally, participation in this program helps cultivate a sense of stewardship and pride for the trees the community plants and cares for.”

This year’s ceremony featured a lot of new faces, as several of those who have played a vital role in Cullman’s 34-year Tree City history were not present. In addition to the retirements of Darrell Johns and Mayo mentioned above, long-time Cullman County Extension Coordinator Tony Glover recently retired. That position is now held by Dr. Kira Sims.

Also, long-time Tree Commission member and chairman Everett Wier passed away recently. Wier was not only an active member and leader of the Tree Commission but was also a member of the Master Gardeners and the Arbor Day Foundation. At the Tree Commission meeting held just prior to the ceremony, a moment of silence was held in honor of Wier and his contributions to the commission. Commission member Michael Sullins was elected to fulfill the role of chairman.

“A lot of folks over the years have helped us get to this point,” said Jacobs. “And we have good people here now who will continue to move us forward.”

The new Tree City USA flag was raised in front of City Hall by Chandler and Downs.