On April 24 the Bethlehem Garden Club recognized Arbor Day and celebrated the United States’ 250th anniversary with the planting of a native species Eastern Red Bud tree along East Church Street at City Hall.

Several city workers, members of the Bethlehem Garden Club and others were present to participate. The city parks maintenance workers had planted the roughly 8’ tall tree before the ceremony.

Garden Club president Rosanne Cilente, the Garden Club’s tree planting chair Sharon Smith, and city forester Olivia Teel each spoke to those assembled.

Smith opened noting the “importance of trees to our city, environment and future.” “This is our gift to the City of Bethlehem,” she concluded.

Cilente said that trees play a vital role in sustaining our planet. “They provide food and shelter for wildlife and shade for our homes,” said Cilente who quoted an old Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago.”

Teel informed those in attendance that updates to the city’s Urban Forestry Master Plan were currently underway.

After speaking the three added symbolic shovel fulls of soil to the planting before a marker was placed at the base of the tree and city parks workers completed the installation by adding mulch and support posts.

Teel said the city was looking to plant a second tree on its own a short distance from the Arbor Day planting, and would probably plant a second Eastern Red Bud to provide a colorful impact when both trees would bloom in the spring.