Foley, Orange Beach & Gulf Shores Arbor Day giveaways Feb. 26

Foley, Orange Beach & Gulf Shores Arbor Day giveaways Feb. 26

Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Robertsdale and Foley – official tree cities all – will celebrate Arbor Day with tree giveaways in February. Communities that earn Tree City USA recognition not only have taken the time to meet strict standards, they know that trees improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, reduce erosion, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.
Gulf Shores
Gulf Shores will give away trees to residents on Saturday, February 26 from 8:30 – 10 a.m. at the Gulf Shores Elementary School, as a drive-through to provide a safe environment for all participants. Residents of each household that reside within the Gulf Shores corporate limits may select four different trees from six different varieties: Catalpa, Overcup Oak, Red Maple, Pecan, Hoptree – Ptelea trifoliate and Ashe Magnolia. Residents must show proof of residency. The trees are potted in one-gallon containers and are ready for planting. A brochure giving specifics on each tree is available to residents and the Gulf Shores Landscape Division will be onsite to answer questions about the trees. For more info, call 251-968-1166 or visit gulfshoresal.gov.
Foley
Foley’s 41st Annual Celebration of Arbor Day will be held at the Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermen’s Market, located at 20733 Miflin Road, at 1 p.m. on Feb. 26. The Alabama Forestry Commission, Baldwin County Master Gardeners and Certified Arborists will be on hand to answer any questions. Boy Scout Troop 77 will assist with distribution. The top winning posters will be on display from the Arbor Day Poster Contest. The Foley High School Air Force Junior ROTC will do the Presentation of Colors. There will be an assortment of trees in three gallon containers available, one per family please.
Live Oak Trees will be dedicated and planted in memory of three special people who loved Foley and made our city a better place because of the time they spent here: Mayor Arthur Holk, Coach Ivan Jones and Danny Younce.
Robertsdale
Robertsdale’s celebration begins at 9 a.m. on Feb. 26 in The HoneyBee Park pavillion, and at least a dozen varieties of trees will be available for free, and patrons can register for a door prize tree to be announced later. Patrons are not required to be Robertsdale residents, and after going through the line to pick up one tree, participants are welcome to get back in line to pick up additional trees until all trees have been distributed. For more info, call 251-947-8950.
Orange Beach
The City of Orange Beach will observe Arbor Day with tree giveaways on Saturday, February 26 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Trees will be given away in front of the Orange Beach Community Development building at 4101 Orange Beach Blvd. The potted trees that will be given away will consist of a variety of hardwoods for citizens to plant in their yards. There will be a limited quantity per resident, which is defined as those who live within the city limits of Orange Beach. For the city’s part, it continues to meet the standards to be a Tree City USA community: it has a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. Volunteers are needed. For more info, contact Woody Speed at 251-981-1062 or wspeed@orangebeachal.gov.