Shingle oak tree planting marks Arbor Day ceremony

A group of students clad in pajamas enthusiastically shoveled mulch and placed decorated stones at the base of newly planted shingle oak. The children were taking part in Bloomington’s annual tree-planting ceremony. \nMembers of Bloomington’s Parks and Recreation Department along with members of the Bloomington Tree Commission and Banneker Community Center’s After School Adventure program gathered outside Banneker Community Center as part of the Arbor Day ceremony Friday.\nBloomington must hold an Arbor Day ceremony because it is a requirement of all towns that have earned the distinction of Tree City USA. \n“It’s our 22nd consecutive year of being a Tree City USA, which is what Arbor Day commemorates,” said Mick Renneisen, director of the city Parks and Recreation Department.\n“We’re the first city in Indiana to have received that distinction and have been proud to maintain that for 22 consecutive years,” Renneisen added.\nThe ceremony began with a new shingle oak tree planted in the space outside the community center.\nIt was planted where a dying silver maple tree had been removed. \n“It posed a risk for our community center and the kids who play here, and it was diseased and was dying,” Renneisen said. “We pulled it out this spring so it just seemed natural to have the replanting be apart of the ceremony.”\nAfter a brief introduction by Renneisen, Laurel Cornell, co-chair of the Bloomington Tree Commission, discussed five points she found especially important for the community to be aware of when dealing with trees. \nCornell advised people to plant trees in the community that are diverse, to take care of the trees, to avoid breaking them, and most importantly to enjoy them.\nCornell recognized the importance of speaking to the children in the audience and made sure they understood the relevance of the event.\n“It’s really important when you’re thinking about trees and the environment to talk to the people who are going to make a difference in the future. That’s why I directed it towards the kids,” Cornell said. “I made them think about themselves and their grandparents and how big a tree could be if they planted one now.”\nCornell said she wanted the audience, which was also comprised of city officials and adults, to understand the extent of trees’ impact on the community. \n“Trees improve our environment in ways that make an economic difference,” she said. “Trees aren’t just beautiful; they really contribute to the economy of our community.” \nMary Catherine Carmichael, president of the Bloomington Board of Park Commissions, spoke last, providing a brief history of Arbor Day and recognizing the funding and the three people responsible for maintaining the vast tree population in Bloomington, the Urban Foresters of Bloomington. \nThe shingle oak tree is expected to reach anywhere from 60 to 80 feet in height and about 40 feet in width. It is also expected to live for about 100 years, Urban Forester Lee Huss said. \nFor Renneisen, Arbor Day is a time to reflect on the importance of trees and what they offer, so people can realize the importance of maintaining a large, diverse tree community in Bloomington.\n“With some of the recent things about global-warming concerns and other negative components of our over developed world, it’s kind of important every once in a while, I think, to look at the value of some very basic things that we take for granted on a daily basis,” Renneisen said. “And (we should) realize if we cut them all down where are we going to be without all the benefits that trees and other things in our environment provide us as a life form.”