Arbor Day Celebrated in New Glarus

New Glarus received its twenty-sixth consecutive Tree City USA award and a total of 25 trees were planted in New Glarus on Friday, April 29, 2022, as part of the village's 26th Annual Arbor Day tree planting.
Adult volunteers, New Glarus Lions Club members and New Glarus High School students, under the direction of Hanna Kearns, joined Village Forester Paul Jennrich in planting trees throughout the village. The Village Public Works Department assisted by pre-digging planting sites and hauling wood chips to designated locations for use by the volunteers. The volunteers also took time to rake leaves, pull weeds and prune shrubs in Village Park and place fresh wood chips around existing trees in Village Park, Veterans Memorial Park and Candy Cane Park.
This year's planting marked the renewal of the village's annual Arbor Day tree planting day after two years of pandemic-disrupted celebrations.
At noon the group ate a picnic lunch at Village Park organized and set up by Carolyn and Arthur Jennrich, Shirley and Lloyd Lueschow, Judy Renner and Carol Hassemer. These individuals also made numerous homemade side dishes and desserts to add a special touch to the meal. Funding for the lunch was provided by donations from Dan Gartzke and Tracey Schwalbe, Beth Blahut, Mike and Theresa Colney, Dawn Donner-Chambers and Brenda's Blumenladen.
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.
New Glarus has met the four standards to become a Tree City USA community: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
For twenty-six years, the village has been planting park and terrace trees in celebration of Arbor Day as part of its urban forestry program. Adult and student volunteers have planted over 1,000 trees in the village since the planting program began.
Anyone wishing to purchase terrace trees for next year's planting, volunteer for next year's event or provide a donation to help fund tree planting, may contact Village Forester Paul Jennrich at (608) 527-5833.