Description

Please join us on Friday, Feb. 9th at 9am for Arbor Day in the Bay at Main Street Methodist Church. Led by Anita Warner, chair of the Arbor Day Committee, a live oak will be installed in the front yard of Main Street Methodist Church. 

Arbor is the Latin word for tree. It started in 1872, nationally recognized in 1972. It is celebrated by planting trees to protect our planet's natural resources and as a gift to future generations. Because of our climate, we celebrate this day in February in lieu of the traditional April Date. The winter is prime time to install new trees and shrubs to become established before the heat and humidity of our summers.

The Bay Waveland Garden Club annually installs a tree in a prominent locations around town. This year they are partnering with the Hancock Chamber Beautification Committee to celebrate Arbor Day. Katharine Ohman, chair of the Chamber Committee, obtained 15 gallon specimen live oaks and crepe myrtles as a donation from Don Batson of Green Forest Nursery. The trees were given to various nonprofits such as Christ Episcopal, Main Street Methodist, Our Lady of the Gulf, Gulfside Assembly, Saint Augustine, Clermont Harbor and Saint Stanislaus.

The Bay Waveland Garden Club and the Hancock County Historical Society maintain the Live Oak Tree Registry also chaired by Anita Warner. Their mission is to register live oak tress that are 100 years old or older to protect and conserve these natural resources that promote historical events, aesthetic value and environmental significance. The project operates in conjunction with the Societe des Arbres, the state tree registry.