Arbor Day activities scheduled across region
* The city of Coeur d'Alene will host a community-wide Arbor Day Celebration Saturday in the Landings subdivision in northwest Coeur d'Alene off Prairie Avenue.
The event will start with a street tree planting at 10 a.m. on Bardwell Drive. Following the tree planting, an Arbor Day ceremony will be held at 11:30 at nearby Landings Park, 3849 Long Meadows Drive. There will be a free hot dog lunch sponsored by Sun Valley Tree Service.
The city will be presented with a Tree City USA award and the Growth Award from the National Arbor Day Foundation. This will be the 31st consecutive year of Tree City USA recognition for Coeur d'Alene.
Winners of the Arbor Day button art contest and poster contest will be recognized as well.
Free tree seedlings will be given to all who attend.
For more information contact Coeur d'Alene urban forester Katie Kosanke at 769-2266 or visit cdaid.org/parks.
* Children's Arbor Day programs will be held Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Coeur d'Alene Public Library. This year's program is "Animal Inn - Snags for Wildlife" by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Each child who attends will receive a free tree seedling. There will also be an art project.
* All fourth-grade students in the Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Lakeland school districts received free tree seedlings. The seedlings were purchased with donations from the local timber industry companies, tree services and nurseries. In addition to the seedlings, the fourth-graders will receive an Arbor Day sticker. The designer of this year's sticker, and winner of the Arbor Day Art Contest, is Aubrey Harwood of Coeur d'Alene High School.
* The city of Hayden will host its Arbor Day celebration from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 30, at Hayden City Park, 8930 N. Government Way, for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
More than 650 students from Atlas Elementary, Coeur d'Alene Christian School, Hayden Meadows Elementary, North Idaho Christian School, Winton Elementary and children who are home-schooled or enrolled in virtual online schools will be participating in more than 30 interactive Arbor Day activities. The city's Forestry, Parks and Recreation Commission and nearly 50 community volunteers will be conducting hands-on activities.
Mayor Ron McIntire will give the Arbor Day Proclamation and announce winners of the Design the 2015 Arbor Day Button Contest. Seedlings will be distributed to participants. For more information, contact Donna Phillips at 209-2020.
* The city of Spirit Lake's Arbor Day celebration will be held at 1:30 p.m. on May 8 at City Park. Second-grade classes from Spirit Lake Elementary will participate in a short essay contest, a tree will be planted and there will be singing. Smokey Bear may also attend.