Weeks after bidding goodbye to one tree along Mayfield Road, the City will plant five more in the same spot as part of its Arbor Day celebration – with the public invited to participate in that and other activities.

This year’s Arbor Day event will take place from 10 to around 11:30 a.m. on February 22. That’s a Saturday, not a Friday like other years.

The festivities will be centered around Mayfield Park, with parking available in a few spots along Baldwin Road as well as elsewhere within walking distance in Crabapple. The hands-on fun will include building pine cone bird feeders using birdseed and allergy-friendly seed butter, that, once complete, can be hung on branches at the park or in people’s yards. Attendees also can enjoy snacks along with coffee and hot chocolate compliments of Caribou Coffee.

After a welcome and remarks from City officials, Todd Williamson – the Branch Manager for the Milton Library – will read a tree-themed story (so bring the kids!) and talk about the library system’s arbor-friendly efforts, such as its seedling giveaway around Earth Day.

It wouldn’t be Arbor Day in Milton, of course, if the City didn’t distribute its own ready-to-plant small trees. On February 22, the City will have 50 Willow Oak seedlings available to anyone interested … while supplies last.

Not coincidentally, at this event a Willow Oak will be among the trees being planted – along with four Autumn Cherry trees, which bloom in the spring and fall – at the nearby small island at the intersection of Mayfield Road and Baldwin Road. They will replace another oak (a Water Oak) that stood for years in that same area. Last fall, the City had to remove that large Water Oak because it was decaying and damaged, with a major section of its canopy having fallen on Mayfield Road.

Tree plantings, seedling giveaways, and, in fact, the whole Arbor Day festivities all fall under the umbrella of Plant! Milton, the long-running City initiative to encourage planting, education to bolster understanding and proper care, and generally to nurture our community’s love of trees. For more information, check out this project’s Web page at www.miltonga.gov/PlantMilton.

Even if they are not currently abounding with leaves and flowers, now is a prime time to celebrate trees. That’s because we in Georgia are near the end of tree-planting season (which runs from late fall to when the weather starts warming up in late February). Tree planting is core to what Arbor Day is all about, hence the fact it happens annually this time of year in Georgia – whereas national Arbor Day is in April.