Warren, PA — The city of Warren is kicking off Arbor Day celebrations with a community effort centered on local students.
Students from the Jefferson DeFrees Family Center joined city officials Tuesday, April 21st at Crescent Park to plant a tree ahead of Friday’s Arbor Day proclamation and Tree City USA ceremony.
“It’s such a wonderful experience for these kids,” said Melinda Johnson, executive director of the Jefferson DeFrees Family Center. “It’s making them aware of their environment and community beautification. They asked so many questions today and were so excited to lend a hand planting the tree.”
The hands-on event gave students a chance to learn about the importance of trees while contributing to a project that will benefit the community for years to come.
Joe Reinke, the City of Warren’s superintendent and arborist, said the annual tree planting has become a meaningful tradition.
“The past five or six years planting trees with the kids has been a lot of fun,” Reinke said. “My kids have come through the Jefferson DeFrees Center, and I’ve had the chance to plant trees with them, so that has been very special. Being the city arborist a fun part of my job, and one that I really enjoy.”
City officials say efforts like this help maintain Warren’s long-standing commitment to green spaces. The city has been recognized as a Tree City USA community for decades.
“We are one of the longest-running Tree City USA communities in Pennsylvania,” Reinke said. “This year marks 38 years for us, so that’s definitely something to be proud of. We take our urban forests pretty seriously here.”
The celebration will continue with the city hosting a Tree City USA Proclamation event on Friday, April 24th at 12:00PM at Crescent Park. Officials say the public is encouraged to attend.
For more information on the Arbor Day celebrations in Warren, visit the city’s website, here.