Malden Councilor Celebrates Arbor Day

MALDEN, MA - Ward 3 City Councillor John Matheson held his annual Arbor Day Celebration at Fellsmere Park. In honor of this American tradition, Councillor Matheson was joined by Mayor Gary Christenson, city officials, and many residents to plant a tree along the banks of Fellsmere Pond.

This year’s tree planting, dedicated to the memory of longtime Ward 3 resident John Bennett who was a loyal and active member of the ward, will serve as a reminder of the importance of taking care of and protecting our trees, according to a release. At this year’s event, Mayor Christenson presented Councillor Matheson with a Tree City USA plaque and flag in honor of Malden becoming a Tree City in part as a result of Councillor Matheson’s annual Arbor Day events. Attendees were also treated to complimentary ice cream and were able to celebrate the beauty of Fellsmere Park.

The first American Arbor Day took place on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska and was organized by J. Sterling Morton, a journalist and politician who later served as President Grover Cleveland’s Secretary of Agriculture. The first Arbor Day was extremely successful with more than one million trees planted! Nebraska later established April 22 as the official Arbor Day holiday in honor of Morton’s birthday. Today, all states and multiple countries celebrate Arbor Day with varying dates to coincide with the best tree planting weather.

Photos by Paul Hammersley, City of Malden.