Chelsea celebrates Arbor Day, Tree City status

The City of Chelsea took time to celebrate trees this weekend.

As part of its annual Arbor Day celebration, the Chelsea Tree Commission invited residents out to the Highway 39 Recreational Complex for free tree seedlings, a tree giveaway and other goodies. There are typically between 80-100 attendees each year depending on the weather, said Tree Commission member Sharon Johnson.

For tree commission members, the event is a great way to get to know people and to talk about tree planting, care and maintenance, said Judy Cain, who has been on the tree commission for 18 years and rotated off earlier this year.

Also in attendance was Dale Dickens, urban forestry coordinator for the Alabama Forestry Commission. He said Arbor Day celebrations, which are a requirement for Tree City USA communities to maintain their status, are a great opportunity to teach the new generation about trees. The benefit, however, affects all ages.

"Trees are very important to communities, but they're not often thought about," Dickens said. "Arbor Day lets us take time and think about the trees."