DuPage towns mark Tree City milestone
Wheaton and Warrenville have more in common than just the start of their names.
The two DuPage towns share borders. They share a school district. And, for the past 25 years, they have shared the Arbor Day Foundation honor of being named Tree City USA recipients.
But this weekend, one will quietly celebrate Arbor Day while the other hopes to liven things up with musical performances, environmental displays at village hall and a mayoral proclamation.
“We advocate taking care of trees,” said Warrenville Executive Assistant Ana Vainisi, who serves as staff liaison to the village’s Environmental Advisory Commission. “We are landlocked on all four sides and we have several forest preserves. It’s something we try to educate people about.”
Warrenville and Wheaton are among eight DuPage County towns that last month were honored by the Arbor Day Foundation for at least the 25th straight year.
Warrenville’s ceremony will tie into a sculpture dedication commemorating the 175th anniversary of the town’s founding and starts at 10 a.m. Saturday in the city hall gazebo. A more subdued ceremony in Wheaton is planned for 9:30 a.m. Friday at Sandburg Elementary School, 1345 Jewell Road.
The ceremony will include students reading tree-related poems and Mayor Mike Gresk presenting a flag commemorating the 25th year of the honor. Additionally, a northern catalpa tree will be planted on the school’s grounds.
Sandburg Principal Aaron Bacon said the event will add to students’ learning experience.
“It helps them become better citizens if they are concerned about our planet,” he said. “We’re not just teaching kids how to do math. We want them to be good people.”
Every year since 1976, the Nebraska-based Arbor Day Foundation has honored towns that meet specific requirements, such as having a tree-care board, tree-care ordinance and spending at least $2 per resident on an urban forestry program.
“It’s a sign that your city is committed to trees for all the right reasons,” said Arbor Day Foundation public relations manager Mark Derowitsch, before noting the economic and health benefits. “It’s an asset that needs to be protected. We believe strongly that trees add tremendous value to a community.”
Towns apply for the designation but do not pay an application fee. Instead, they are required to show they meet the criteria.
“We want the community to draw attention to trees so residents can know why the city takes so much pride in them,” he said.
Wheaton Forestry Superintendent Kevin Maloney said the small ceremony at the elementary school should give his crews and residents a sense of pride.
“A lot of our citizens take pride in the trees,” he said. “It’s a matter of civic pride that they belong to a community that takes pride in the preservation of its trees.”
Long time green
Eight communities in DuPage County have been honored by the Arbor Day Foundation for at least a quarter of a century.
Downers Grove - 27 years
Elmhurst - 31 years
Glen Ellyn - 27 years
Itasca - 26 years
Roselle - 25 years
Villa Park - 26 years
Warrenville - 25 years
Wheaton - 25 years