Sandy Springs Plans 2017 Arbor Day Celebration

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- The city of Sandy Springs will mark Arbor Day on Friday, Feb. 17 by giving away 100 tree seedlings along with its traditional planting activities.

The activities will kick off at 11 a.m. on Fig Island, which is located in the median at the intersection of Mt. Vernon Highway and Glenridge Drive. Parking will be available at the Sandy Springs Baptist Church parking lot.

“Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that the creation of a thousand forests was located in a single acorn," said Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul. "Imagine the canopy we can create in planting 100 and more seedlings throughout our city."

The Sawtooth Oak seedlings were made possible through a donation by Georgia Power Company. The city’s arborists will be on hand to provide residents with instructions on proper planting and care.

City leaders will plant an October Glory Maple Tree to commemorate this year’s Arbor Day. The species is known for its colorful orange and red leaves in the fall. This fast-growing tree can reach heights up to 50 feet.

Sandy Springs has planted a tree in honor of Arbor Day since its incorporation in 2005, earning the designation as a Tree City USA for the past eight years.

Established more than 100 years ago, Arbor Day celebrates and promotes the planting and care of trees. The National Arbor Day is celebrated in April, with the state of Georgia celebration of trees held in February to align with the region’s planting season.

The Georgia General Assembly proclaimed Georgia’s first Arbor Day in 1890.

Photo: the city of Sandy Springs' 2015 Arbor Day celebration, which was held on Johnson Ferry Road at Laurian Wood Drive.