Medina will plant 51 trees this spring

Arbor Day celebration with 3rd-graders returns April 29

Press Release, Medina Municipal Tree Board

Photos courtesy of Chris Busch: These 42 trees are tagged and ready for installation in Medina with 9 additional trees to arrive soon.

MEDINA – With the month of April comes thoughts of Spring and in the Village of Medina, Spring means Arbor Day.

Arbor Day, observed nationally on the last Friday of April, falls this year on April 29. The observance will be held at the on the northeast corner of Frank Street at West Avenue in the village. As always, 3rd graders from Medina Central School will be on hand to celebrate.

“Fifty-one trees in all will be planted this year,” said Kathy Blackburn, Tree Board Chair. “Forty-one on the west block of South Avenue, nine on the east block of Frank Street and one at City Hall on Main Street.”

“The west block of South Avenue has lost nearly all of its trees over the past 10-15 years,” said Blackburn. “The impact on this streetscape will be huge.”

Multiple sources of research on the impact of street trees cite numerous benefits, including increase property values, slower/safer traffic patterns, lower urban air temperatures, and absorption of harmful pollution.

Research from 2017 also indicates street trees in neighborhoods result in lower blood pressure and improvement to overall emotional and psychological health.

Arbor Day 2022 will mark a milestone for Medina’s urban forestry program. It is the 15th year in a row that the Village of Medina has been awarded the Tree City USA designation by the National Arbor Day Foundation. The award honors Medina’s commitment to community forestry.

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. Tree City USA is awarded annually to those communities who qualify and is a national designation.

Medina’s Municipal Tree Ordinance and Arbor Day Celebration have been a model for several other communities looking to establish a board and planting program. Medina receives multiple inquiries for assistance and advice every year from municipalities across the state.

The 300 block of South Avenue is the main spring planting site for Medina’s trees in 2022.

The village maintains a policy of diversity in its urban forest plantings. Species to be planted in the village this year include Ginkgo, Osage Orange, Crab Apple, American Sweetgum, Japanese Zelkova, London Plane, Elm, Honey Locust, and varieties of Oak and Maple.

Blackburn says with each passing year, more trees are lost and need replacement. With increasing costs and limited funding, the task is difficult but necessary.

“Municipal budgets are tight everywhere and the cost of plant material has seen double-digit percentage increases in the last six years,” said Blackburn. “Additionally, our village forest is aging and we’re losing 30-40+ trees each year. The upside is we replace those trees with new, more desirable cultivars.”

Medina’s planting policy reflects a diverse selection of species. Shown here is Quercus muehlenbergii or Chinkapin oak, one of ten different species being planted this month in the village.

Blackburn explained that much of Medina’s old trees are Silver Maple and Ash, with the Silver Maples simply dying from age and the Ash from the Emerald Ash Borer.

“Thankfully, the community has been extremely generous in donating funds for trees, both as memorials and general plantings,” she said. “People see the importance of trees in the village and enjoy the aesthetic impact. We’re incredibly grateful for the financial support we recieve through our annual Community Releaf Fund Drive.”

According to Blackburn, donations can be made anytime for general tree planting, memorial trees or for “trees on your street”. Additional information can be obtained at the Village Clerk’s Office or by downloading the Releaf brochure online at villagemedina.org.

“Now more than ever, support is critical for the future,” said Blackburn.

The Arbor Day 2022 Celebration will begin at approximately 10 a.m. on Frank Street at the corner of West Avenue, and will include the reading of the Arbor Day Proclamation by Mayor Michael Sidari. The trees will planted by the Medina DPW. Medina’s 3rd graders will be on hand to help plant the trees and celebrate the day.

“The community’s invited!” said Blackburn. “Medina’s Arbor Day Celebration is second to none and we encourage everyone to come celebrate and support tree planting in Medina!”