Woodridge celebrates Arbor Day

On April 29, Arbor Day was celebrated in Woodridge with the annual planting of a tree at Meadowview Elementary School, 2525 Mitchell Drive. The planting was conducted by the first-grade classes at Meadowview School along with the Woodridge Public Works forestry crew.

Commonwealth Edison and the Morton Arboretum also teamed up with the Woodridge Forestry crew which includes Scott Sramek, Gary Rejsek, Sergio Perez, Mike McAleer and Mitch Szczepaniak.

This annual Arbor Day program includes an overview of the origins of Arbor Day and focuses on the importance and interdependence between people and trees through an interactive discussion with the first-graders by Ed Hedborn of the Morton Arboretum and Gary Rejsek, Forester-Woodridge Public Works.

Commonwealth Edison discussed safety tips about electricity including the important lesson to not climb trees or play near power lines. ComEd also performed a mini-demonstration on the use of an aerial lift truck for working on power lines and tree trimming and demonstrated professional tree climbing procedures for tree trimming. ComEd also generously donated the white oak tree (the state tree of Illinois) that was planted in front of the school by the first-grade class, teachers, and Principal Jodi Innes.

Principal Innes reminded the children “that each day when you come to school, and for years afterward, each one of you can look to the first tree on the left and know that you planted it.”

The highlight for the kids was the gift of a plastic hard hat reading “I Planted a Tree with Woodridge Public Works” along with a white pine sapling tree to bring home and plant.