Delaware is honored to be named a 2022 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. The foundation recognizes the city’s commitment to effective urban forest management.

This is the 42nd consecutive year the City of Delaware has received Tree City USA honors.

The city commemorated the award on Friday, April 28, – Arbor Day – with a tree-planting ceremony at Hayes High School. Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle and students from the Environmental Science class participated in the planting of a London plane tree.

“Arbor Day is a day in which we celebrate the planting, upkeep and preservation of our community’s trees,” Riggle said.

Earlier in April, 100 trees were planted at Smith Park. The 50 swamp white oak and 50 black oak saplings were planted by volunteers along with the City of Delaware Parks and Recreation Department.

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

Urban tree plantings help reduce energy consumption, help with the overall cooling of a city and increase property values. Trees also positively affect the local ecosystem by helping to clean water and create animal habitats to encourage biodiversity.

More information on the program is available at arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members.

Submitted by the City of Delaware.