Trees are essential to life. Most trees and shrubs in cities or communities are planted to provide beauty or shade.
These are two excellent reasons for their use. However, trees also serve many other purposes. Trees add so much to a community besides beauty. 
It is helpful to consider these other functions when selecting a tree or shrub for your landscape. Since Georgia Arbor Day will be here in just a few weeks, now is the time to get planting. We have trees coming to help you out.
To celebrate Georgia Arbor Day, Keep Liberty Beautiful — with the help of the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Forestry Commission and Brewer’s Tree Farm — once again is providing free
4-to 6-foot trees, including dogwoods, crepe myrtles and a variety of oaks for planting. We want to encourage any civic or youth groups, schools, churches, businesses and municipalities to reserve a tree or two to plant, while our supplies last. Contact Keep Liberty Beautiful by Feb. 9 to reserve your tree. The trees will be available for pick up during the week of Feb. 13-17.  The trees are free. We only ask that you take a picture of your group or employees planting the trees and email us your picture with information by Feb. 25. We would love to have a picture of your tree planting.
There also will be about 100 free trees available during the quarterly Recycle It! Fair from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 18 at 1113 E. Oglethorpe Highway. Types of trees available will include dogwoods, oaks, oaks, catalpa and some crepe myrtles. The fair is for recycling electronics and household hazardous waste items. Reserve your tree by calling 880-4888 or emailing to klcb@libertycountyga.com by Feb. 13.
Why should you get your shovel ready and join us for Arbor Day?  Trees have a myriad of different benefits for both wildlife and people. They stabilize the soil and prevent soil erosion, generate oxygen, store carbon, play host to a variety of wildlife, provide us with raw materials and provide a countless number of jobs, provide shelter and the materials to create shelter, increase property values, have health benefits, provide great shade and help cool the environment.
The almost magical and calming quality of trees makes them great for relaxation and recreation. A walk in the woods or hanging out in a greenspace can give almost anyone a feeling of peace and tranquility.
Trees release oxygen for us to breathe and absorb carbon dioxide. Trees also help to conserve our world’s biodiversity by providing habitats for numerous animal and plant species.
Trees also can help our economy, especially by increasing land values and in urban areas they increase retail business.
Trees definitely are more than a pretty face. We need trees in so many ways. They help to create the type of community that we are, or the one we want to be.  This February, help us to plant for the future — plant trees.

More upcoming KLB events:
Through Feb. 15: Phonebook and catalog recycling is available at all Liberty County recycling drop-off sites and at local city hall offices.