The City of Conway Tree Board and Girl Scout troops 6743 and 6822 joined together to plant trees at Laurel Park to celebrate Conway Arbor Day Nov. 5. 

“We planted seven trees in Laurel Park this Arbor Day to finish off our 2022 year of plantings and to replace previously dedicated celebration trees that were removed due to declining health,” Tree Board Director Treci Buchanan said. “Celebration trees were purchased in honor or memory of a loved one and although the program no longer exists in its original format, we felt it important to honor that program and rededicate new trees within the Laurel Park Tree Grove.”

The Conway Tree Board had already planted five trees in Laurel Park Nov. 3 and another two trees were planted for the Arbor Day event by the girl scout troops. Buchanan noted the importance of doing events like this with the community. 

“Trees are important to help maintain the vitality and health of any community. Ongoing education around the need for trees within a suburban, or urban, environment is crucial as populations continue to move into cities,” Buchanan said.  

“Community outreach and education are important reminders that we live in a community forest and helps to increase the lens with which one sees trees; as part of infrastructure, health and wellness, recreation and leisure and homes for pollinators that help provide us with food. It’s also great to witness their realization that they were part of something that can be revisited for generations to come,” Buchanan said.

While holding events like this within a community is important to get individuals involved with helping the environment, it is also necessary to recognize the importance of doing things like planting trees. 

“As I mentioned, trees are vital to all communities with respect to health and economics,” Buchanan said. “This can be seen in many ways to include: providing cleaner air, decrease in respiratory illness, providing shade and cooler temperature during hotter months, energy efficiency for homes, increase property values, decrease in crime rates, decrease in traffic accidents on tree-lined streets, provide filtration for stormwater runoff — less pollutants in our streams and rivers — and help to mitigate flooding during the wetter months.”

Buchanan said, “Lastly, Arkansas is an agricultural state with healthy forests and rich timberland. Trees provide revenue as well as homes for pollinators that support our livestock, and food on our plates.”

Arbor Day is nationally celebrated on the last Friday in April, but Conway celebrates its Arbor Day in the fall for a couple of different reasons. 

“Fall is a wonderful time to be outdoors and enjoy our beautiful trees, and it’s also the best time to plant trees in Arkansas,” according to the Conway Tree Board’s Facebook page.

The Tree Board provided efforts throughout the year to add more trees to our community and they plan to continue those efforts into 2023. They also plan to continue encouraging community involvement as well. 

“Arbor Day is our wrap-up event for each year, but the Tree Board did also plant 200 trees at McGee Center and gave away 600 trees to residents to plant at their own homes in 2022,” Buchanan said. “For 2023 we will continue to work with the city to create a Community Forest Management Plan for the city. In terms of community outreach, we look to similar opportunities to plant more public trees. We will also have a Spring Free Tree Giveaway, invasive species cleanup day, Tree Climbing Competition, Tree ID walks, Yoga Under the Trees, Arbory Day and more.”

To get involved with the Conway Tree Board you can be a member of the Friend of the Tree Board and receive their quarterly newsletter, donate to help support tree grove plantings, and volunteer at events they hold. Those who want to join can email [email protected] or visit the city’s website.