Hudson celebrates Arbor Day
For a second year in a row, rain put a damper on Hudson’s Arbor Day celebration. Nevertheless, a surprisingly large group braved Saturday’s wind and cold to participate in the activities at Weitkamp Park.
- Members of Hudson’s advisory Urban Forestry Board plant a white birch
For a second year in a row, rain put a damper on Hudson’s Arbor Day celebration.
Nevertheless, a surprisingly large group braved Saturday’s wind and cold to participate in the activities at Weitkamp Park.
Mayor Alan Burchill was there to read an Arbor Day proclamation and help plant a ceremonial tree.
Alderperson John Hoggatt, president of the city’s Urban Forestry Board, gave an update on its activities.
Participants in the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Hudson program, Girl Scouts and others helped plant 20 Norway spruce trees on top of the hill in the park.
Earlier in the week, the leadership group also dug up the trees, which were donated by Al Hanson.
Jenny Jochimsen from the Hudson Area Library read a story about trees and put on a puppet show for the children in attendance.
Kent Lindahl from St. Croix Tree Service gave a demonstration on proper tree pruning.
Eric Shimon of Willow River Tree Farm gave instruction on tree planting.
The two businesses donated the ceremonial trees that were planted – a white birch from St. Croix Tree Service and a flowering crabapple with pink blossoms and maroon leaves from Willow River Tree Farm.
The St. Croix County rain garden group provided a display.
Ken Holman, a member of the Urban Forestry Board and head of the Minnesota DNR’s urban forestry program, added his knowledge about insect and disease threats to trees.
The Urban Forestry Board organized the event.
Hoggatt noted that city workers were able to make progress on removing high-risk trees over the winter because they weren’t busy with snow removal. The weakened trees were identified in a 2011 inventory of trees on city parks and street right of ways.
He said the board’s priorities for 2012 are the continued removal of high-risk trees, utilization of the tree debris as mulch, the treatment of ash trees against the emerald ash borer and planting a diversity of trees to develop a more resilient urban forest.
Tags: communities, hudson, outdoors
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