Tree City Presentation to Young Harris and planting of trees at City Hall
When: 2 p.m. today
Where: Young Harris City Hall, Maple Street, Young Harris
More info: 706-379-6698
Tree planting and gift tree purchases
When: 9:30 a.m. Friday
Where: Jefferson Elementary School playground on Old Pendergrass Road, Jefferson
More info: duganoffice@alltel.net
Arbor Day poster contest winners
When: 10 a.m. Friday
Where: Warren Featherbone Communiversity, E.E. Butler Parkway, Gainesville
More info: 770-869-3641
Tree City USA Planting for Dahlonega
When: 11 a.m. Friday
Where: Dahlonega square
More info: 706-864-6133
Seedling distribution
When: 1 p.m. Friday
Where: Banks County Elementary, Homer
More info: 770-869-3641
Trail of Trees presentation
When: 1 p.m. Friday
Where: Mount Vernon Elementary School, 4844 Jim Hood Road, Gainesville
More info: 770-530-1735
Trees planted in honor of the Dawson County Tree Preservationists of the Year
When: 3 p.m. Friday
Where: Rock Creek Park, Ga. 9 South, Dawsonville
Planting of 20 dogwoods in Toccoa
When: 4 p.m. Friday
Where: Pruitt Park on Doyle Street, Toccoa
More info: 706-282-3309
Friday is Arbor Day in Georgia, celebrated smack in the middle of good tree-planting time.
There will be several Arbor Day events going on around North Georgia, including an awards ceremony in Gainesville at the Featherbone Communiversity on E.E. Butler Parkway, just off Interstate 985. And while the naming of the Champion Trees had to be cancelled due to budget cuts, there will be a winner named for the annual Arbor Day poster contest at Friday’s event.
Phillip Anderson, a ranger for the Georgia Forestry Commission, suggested that if you can’t make it to one of Friday’s tree planting ceremonies or the naming of the poster contest winner in Gainesville, start your own tree tradition.
"We have a lot of people that plant a tree, and they’ll go from year to year and they plant one every year and plant them in a row and see how the progression goes in a lifetime," he said.
Next weekend, Arbor Day celebrations continue at Unicoi State Park & Lodge in Helen when rangers will give a special presentation on the Civilian Conservation Corps and its role in state parks. Unicoi, was originally a camp for the corps, according to Jessica James, recreation director at Unicoi.
"The program starts at 7 p.m. in our lodge, and those who want to come, they can eat dinner off of our buffet," James said. "The Civilian Conservation Corps was quite important in getting some of our state parks built. Our trading post here was actually a camp here for the CCC."
The staff will also give away a limited number of pine seedlings. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at Unicoi, located at 1788 Ga. 356 in Helen. Parking is $3 and there is a charge for dinner. For more information, call 706-878-2201, ext. 305.