Forest Service sets plans for Arbor Day
LTON, Fla. – Florida celebrates Arbor Day on January 15 and the Florida Forest Service is helping recognize the day with a series of events that week. Informational programs for landowners and tree giveaways are slated in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. All events are open to the public.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
On Thursday, January 14, the FFS’s Escambia County Forester, county personnel and the IFAS Extension Office will be at the main Pensacola State College campus at 2:30 p.m. Landowners will have the opportunity to learn about tree health and selection as well as other information before receiving their choice of tree. There will be several booths and displays on hand related to trees, healthy forests and forestry for attendees to visit as well.
For more information, contact Jimmie Jarrett, Escambia County’s Arborist, at (850) 595-3535.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
On Friday, January 15, the Forest Service’s Santa Rosa County Forester and Santa Rosa County Parks Department will be planting 10 live oak trees at the Santa Rosa Soccer and Horse Complex at 9:30 a.m.
Starting at 10:30 a.m., events will shift to the Milton Garden Club on Alabama Street where the FFS, Garden Club and IFAS Extension Office will host a bonsai workshop, History of Arbor Day presentation and a tree giveaway. Species available include Eastern redbud, flowering dogwood, swamp tupelo and river birch.
For more information, contact Santa Rosa County Forester Ian Stone at (850) 983-5310.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
On Saturday, January 16, the Okaloosa County Forester and Forest Service personnel will be giving away 1-gallon potted trees of mixed species including crape myrtle, fringetree/Grancy greybeard, sawtooth oak, bald cypress, redbud and blueberry. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Emerald Coast Science Center on Memorial Parkway.
For more information, call Maria Wilson at (850) 689-7838.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages 37 state forests on more than 1 million acres of public forest land while protecting 26 million acres of homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire.
