During Arbor Week sixteen local elementary schools are visited by “Woody the Tree” (Lakewood’s Arbor Day mascot) and his troupe of recreation staffers. The program teaches youngsters about the important role that trees play in the environment.

Students in first through third grades participate in Arbor Week celebrations and environmental education with poster and mural contests followed by presentations from Woody and the troupe. The program is typically held in March.

Arbor Week celebrates 20 years of National Arbor Day Foundation recognition of Lakewood as a “Tree City USA” and its management of the community’s urban forest. Tree lined city streets sport a green canopy of 28,000 street, parkway, and park trees. They are valuable community resources beautifying thoroughfares, shading homes, and processing carbon emissions.

Managing the urban forest

Keeping Lakewood’s street and park trees healthy is a big job. The city has a certified arborist on the Public Works Department staff to advise the city on tree maintenance. Staff responds quickly to emergency conditions and removes limbs and trees if they’re brought down by wind and rain.

A contract with West Coast Arborists works to trim city trees on a regular schedule. Street trees are trimmed about every four years (sometimes more often, depending on growing conditions and tree species).

From 2005 to early 2008 the city planted more than 3,169 replacement trees. Carefully planted and staked, are given a good start toward renewing the city’s green canopy for the next generation of residents.

Trees are replanted because of age or disease. Several years ago, the city upgraded its standard tree size to 24-inch box, to give the replacement trees a head start in returning the beauty and shade to our streets. Replacement trees have been identified over the past fifteen years that are best adapted to our climate, easier on streets and sidewalks, and not likely to have objectionable pods or seeds.

Click to learn more about the National Arbor Day Foundation

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