Over the Garden Fence: Arbor Day in the fall – Bucyrus Telegraph Forum

Mary Lee Minor, Over the Garden Fence Published 5:44 a.m. ET Oct. 8, 2020

Val Spreng, who served as Bucyrus Tree Commission president last year, stands with Bucyrus maintenance worker Eric Clady just after planting a honey locust tree on Arbor Day at the Bucyrus Elementary School in 2019.(Photo: Mary Lee Minor)

As many communities look ahead to a 2021 spring observance of Arbor Day, your local treecommission has taken a bold step. It has made a decision to stage an autumn version of this tradition. Next Tuesday at noon, Bucyrus Tree Commissionmembers haveinvited the community to "come as you are" to Aumiller Park, near the pool and foot bridge. There isa proclamation for the very first Arbor Day in Autumn from Mayor Jeff Reser. Time has been set aside to salute our Bucyrus Fire Department for service beyond its normalchallenges.They are coming.Their bond with the tree commission will be clarified duringthis Arbor Day gathering.

Oh, sure there are two trees being planted. It would not be an Arbor Day without thistaking place. President Jeff Panovich will be summarizing all the tree planting effortsaccomplished since November 2019. He will share what is ahead in 2020 for SpringStreet and Aumiller Park.

The Bucyrus Tree Commission meets regularly. We walk long streets devoid of trees and decide whether a replacement tree should be of small size orcould be a medium one. Small trees are those that end up being less than 30 feettall. Mediums range anywhere from 30to 50 feetin height.Large ones grow on past 50 feet. Where power and communication lines are notpresent, large trees can go in.

Wecommission members travel to nurseries and actually look at the growth habits and physical characteristics of trees.Because we make choices for both parks and tree lawns intown,we listen to advice about which trees lend themselves to being tough along citystreetsandthose which need the unrestricted spaces afforded by Aumiller Park.Seedlingsare not in the plans. Rather older trees, which have a better chance to reach maturity, arebeing selected. All of this work is about replacement and restoration.

One of the goals is to bring variety to neighborhoods throughout town.Besides Japanese tree lilacs, honey locusts and several maples, we consider ginkgo, redbuds and London planetrees, which do well in urban settings.

In Bucyrus, where we survey tree lawns, letters have been sent to residents along theintended planting route, asking if they are in agreement with the tree plantings. Wecertainly want people on the support side of this venture.If you think trees are a waste oftime, think about the fact thatstreets are like a public face of a town, Bucyrus. They bring lifethrough foliage and perhaps blooming to welcome spring. In summer there is shade relief.Fall offers foliage colors. As leaves, flowers and fruit fall, a layer of humus protects the soiland slows temperature changes.

In heavy rainfall, foliage cushions the force of the downpour. This slows erosion. Tree rootsbind soil and hold huge quantities of moisture. Even bark stores water.

The Bucyrus Tree Commission members take seriously the chargeof acting like a community forestry program. We work through several steps to use funding wisely. If youfind pleasure in trees or want to understand more about supporting the program, do plan tobring your lunch and head for Aumiller Park next Tuesday at noon. Add your applause to the service of our local fire department.

This autumn Arbor Day is a standing-room-only eventsharing, which will be kept short andsweet.

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Over the Garden Fence: Arbor Day in the fall - Bucyrus Telegraph Forum