City to dedicate tree at Arbor Day celebration
The city of Sanibel will hold its annual Arbor Day program on Jan. 19 at 11 a.m. at City Hall, at 800 Dunlop Road, Sanibel, and the community is invited to attend.
Each year, the city celebrates Arbor Day by planting a tree. This year, a paradise tree was selected. It is a large evergreen tree that is native to Florida, the West Indies, southern Mexico and Central America. It is a slow-growing upright tree when young, but can ultimately reach 50 feet in height with a 30-foot spread and creates a dense rounded crown at maturity. The tree blooms in the spring, with clusters of small yellow flowers that produce fruit about the size and shape of an olive, turning from green to red to dark purple or black when ripe. Once established, it grows well in full sun or partial shade in almost any well-drained soil.
Also at the event, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Coastal Watch will offer mangrove seedlings from 11 a.m. to noon as part of its Adopt-A-Mangrove initiative. The program encourages local community members to “adopt” mangroves and nurture them at their homes. Participants are provided all of the guidance needed to take care of the plants. In April, Coastal Watch will ask for the seedlings back so they can be planted at an SCCF restoration site and contribute to the preservation of coastal habitats. Limited seedlings are available; adoption will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
In addition, the Sanibel Recreation Department hosted a youth contest to celebrate Arbor Day, in conjunction with the city’s Natural Resources Department and Vegetation Committee. The selected winners’ artwork or writings will be available for attendees to view during the event at City Hall.
Arbor Day celebrations on Sanibel began 35 years ago when the city’s Vegetation Committee, seeking to become recognized as a Tree City by the Arbor Day Foundation, recommended the city participate in an annual observance of Arbor Day. Since 1989, Sanibel has celebrated Arbor Day by planting a tree in honor of a historical figure, local individual or organization.
For more information, contact Rachel Rainbolt at the Natural Resources Department at rachel.rainbolt@mysanibel.com.