Poems, Song Mark Arlington Heights Arbor Day Festivities

Arlington Heights Park District planted a tree at Heritage Park, as it has for years, in honor of Arbor Day.

Juliette Low Elementary School students read poems, showed their artwork and sang for Arbor Day 2013. Executive Director Stephen Scholten wrote his own poem, too, and shared it with an audience of public officials, families and students.

Arbor Day has taken on even more importance in the village, which has been a Tree City USA for more than two decades, with the emergence of the Emerald ash borer. The insect has attacked 13,000 of the village's ash trees. Arlington Heights has been aggressive in saving its ash trees.

Friday, the park district gave out White Oak and Red Oak saplings for residents to plant. White Oak is the state tree name, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.