Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and the Orange County Board of County Commissioners will join communities across the state to proclaim Friday, January 28th 2011 as Florida Arbor Day. The proclamation will be read at a special tree planting ceremony on Tuesday, January 25th at 8:30 a.m. in the Florida Friendly Landscaping™ Demonstration Garden outside the Orange County Administration Center, 201 S. Rosalind Avenue, Orlando.
The Mayor encourages citizens to plant trees to benefit of future generations. Orange County will provide a Florida native tree to 45 elementary schools to be planted and cared for in their schoolyard. The trees are funded by the Orange County Tree Fund.
Dana Sussmann of the Florida Division of Forestry will also present Orange County with the 2010 Tree City USA certification. To qualify for this designation a community must have a tree protection ordinance and a budget dedicated for the care and planting of trees. Orange County has earned the Tree City USA designation since 2006.
Arbor Day reminds citizens the important role trees have in their community. Trees add biodiversity and beautify our neighborhoods, increase property values, help enhance economic vitality and provide habitat for wildlife. Furthermore, trees take carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere, cleaning the air and producing oxygen for us to breathe. Celebrating Arbor Day in January demonstrates that winter is the best time to plant a tree in Florida.
