Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
“Let’s Grow a Movement” is the theme for Arbor Day this year, according to the Arbor Day Foundation website. They pointed out that we all are working against a climate clock that demands we all do better. Planting trees is one of the things we all can do for the environment.
The Arbor Day Foundation is trying to plant 500 million trees by 2027 in areas where they are most needed. They are doing this with their strong network of global partners, a science-based approach, and more than 50 years’ experience of planting trees worldwide. They know what it takes to make it happen, and I think Liberty County can help.
Keep Liberty Beautiful, with the help of a grant from the City of Flemington and donated trees from the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, as well as the help of the Georgia Forestry Commission, we can plant more trees! This involves educating more people, getting more hands in the dirt, and getting more Liberty County students involved with planting trees, flowers and vegetables.
If you love and appreciate trees as I do, please join us in celebrating trees this Saturday by planting trees and increasing our community tree canopy. We added some more trees to the list this week, so please go to our website, www. keeplibertybeautiful.org, and sign up for a tree today.
Just in case you did not know, we celebrate Arbor Day on the third Friday in February each year. This year, it falls on Friday, Feb. 17, which is a great time to plant trees in our climate We aim to encourage as many local residents as possible to help us grow our tree canopy, because trees and a healthy tree canopy in our community improve our quality of life. We encourage any civic or youth groups, schools, churches, businesses, municipalities and individuals to reserve a tree to plant.
Trees that are reserved can be picked up on Friday, Feb. 17, at Farmer’s Natural Foods on Highway 196, 754 Elma G Miles Pkwy in Hinesville, from 9 a.m. until noon. Farmer’s Natural Foods will be offering anyone who picks up their tree on Arbor Day a discount on their choice of smoothies that day. Also, you can reserve trees for Friday pickup at the Melon Bluff Nature Center, 2999 Islands Hwy in Midway, from 1–3 p.m. You may also pick up trees at the Recycle It! Fair sites from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18.
These locations are:
• Liberty County Community Complex, 9397 East Oglethorpe in Midway
• Walthourville City Hall, 222 Busbee Drive in Walthourville, where there will also be a Shred It! event
Just a reminder, these are the items we will collect at the fairs:
• Electronics
• CFLs and fluorescent light bulbs
• Used motor oil and antifreeze
• Car batteries
• Household batteries
• Printer ink and toner cartridges
• Telephone books, large sale catalogs and books
• Household goods, clothes and shoes
• Old prescription medications and over-the-counter medications For more information on recycling or the upcoming tree giveaways, contact us at (912) 8804888 or klcb@liberty countyga.com, or visit our website, www.keep libertybeautiful.org.
Think trees!