Trees Planted for Arbor Day Observance on April 6

From left to right: Missouri Department of Conservation Forester Rockie Hayes; Cape Girardeau Tree Board members Robert Harris, and Kevin Govero; Parks and Recreation Director Julia Thompson; Public Works Director Tim Gramling; and Park Division Manager Brock Davis.

To celebrate Missouri's observance of Arbor Day on April 6, representatives of the Cape Girardeau Tree Board and Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department planted two purple leaf plum trees at the Shawnee Park Center.

Cape Girardeau has been nationally-recognized as a Tree City USA for 14 years, honoring the city's commitment to its community forest.

"It shows the people of Cape Girardeau value trees for the beauty, grace, comfort and practical blessings they bring," said John Rosenow, president of the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Cape Girardeau continues to meet the four criteria needed to become a Tree City USA: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and a yearly Arbor Day observance.

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation, in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the United States Department of Agriculture's Forest Service.