TEXARKANA, TEXAS—Several local organizations have partnered with the Texas A&M Forest Service to plant and giveaway trees in celebration of Texarkana’s first official Arbor Day on Saturday, March 7th, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Texarkana Water Utilities’ South Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility located at 4000 South State Line, Texarkana, Texas.
Members of Keep Texarkana Beautiful, City Beautiful, the Texarkana College Earth Club, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, Texarkana Water Utilities, the City of Texarkana, Arkansas Parks and Recreation Department, and the City of Texarkana, Texas Planning and Community Development Department will be on-hand to plant 2,000 bare root seedlings of mixed species. The trees will be grown to a larger size in the city’s greenhouse for future planting in city parks, on publicly owned green spaces, and along public streets. The public is invited to participate in the tree planting and afterwards select free trees to take home and plant on a first-come first-serve basis. The tree species have been carefully researched by a certified arborist and varieties were selected that are adaptable to Texarkana’s climate. Available species may include Shumard oak, swamp chestnut oak, white oak, mayhaw, southern red oak, cherrybark oak, bald cypress, redbud, red maple, live oak, cottonwood, yellow poplar, and loblolly pine.
Zaina Gates, East Texas Regional Urban Forester and representatives from the Texas A&M Forest Service will also be on hand to answer any questions the public may have. The public is encouraged to bring their own plastic pots, plastic bags and gloves to assist with the tree planting, and to take their free trees home in.
For more information, please contact the City of Texarkana, Texas Planning and Community Development Department at 903.798.3902.
