Bloomington Celebrates Arbor Day with Tree Planting and Arboretum Designation

Volunteers plant 15 new trees in Olcott Park; Bryan Park Designated a Level 1 Arboretum by ArbNet 

More than 40 volunteers met on a drizzly morning April 25 for an Arbor Day ceremony, and to help Parks and Recreation's urban forestry staff plant 15 new trees north of the playground in Olcott Park.

​Mayor Kerry Thomson assisted Urban Forester Haskell Smith with planting the first ceremonial tree, a balled and burlapped tulip tree approximately 15' tall. Smith demonstrated the correct planting technique, and the Mayor and volunteers completed the planting by filling in the remainder of the hole and spreading mulch around the new tree.

Bloomington celebrated its 41st consecutive year as a Tree City USA, designated by the National Arbor Day Foundation; Bloomington, Indiana's first Tree City, has been designated a Tree City USA every year since 1984. Bloomington also celebrated its third time being named a Tree City of the World in honor of the city's commitment to plant, grow, and maintain trees to benefit the community. ​

Parks and Recreation announced on Arbor Day that Bryan Park, 1001 S. Henderson St., earlier this year was designated a Level 1 Accredited Arboreta by ArbNet, an interactive community of arboreta and tree professionals founded by The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Ill. ArbNet improves urban forestry by supporting municipal tree collections and tree conservation efforts.

Bryan Park is noteworthy not only because it contains nearly 400 inventoried trees representing 60 different species, but also because it is the home of the largest American yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) on city-owned property. Other significant trees in Bryan Park include a specimen black oak (Quercus velutina) and several 40"+ diameter ash trees, which Parks and Recreation has routinely treated to protect them from infestation by the emerald ash borer.

Find live information about street trees in Bloomington, and find individual species of trees, on Parks and Recreation's Treekeeper website.