Celebrating Earth Day with a Picnic and Tree Planting

Thank you to everyone who came out and participated in the Earth Day Celebration in Purcell Park on April 22, 2018!

Notably among the attendees was Daily News-Record reporter Kelly Clark. We found her nice work on the front page of the paper the very next day: An Earth Day Birthday: Group Planted Black Gum, Swamp Oak Tree.

We’d also like to thank Mayor Deanna Reed for graciously attending and sharing her thoughtful comments with us. We’ve posted her remarks here.

Harrisonburg Landscape Manager Mike Hott, with support of the Department of Parks and Recreation, did a wonderful job of facilitating the tree planting and guiding us on an educational tour of trees of Purcell Park. We hope to watch the pond-side swamp oak and black gum trees prosper for years to come!

Scroll down for photos of the event.

Earth Day Picnic in the Park
Sunday, April 22 from 12 noon to 2 PM

Purcell Park
Shelter #3 (near the pond)
41 Monument Ave, Harrisonburg

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley invites you to celebrate Earth Day, Sunday April 22, with them.

Bring your picnic basket and come to Purcell Park, Shelter #3 close to the pond, at noon to eat and visit with friends. Stay to hear the comments by Mayor Deanna Reed and plant two new trees (holes already dug!) Then you can take a hike, go on a tree ID walk led by Mike Hott, certified arborist, play Frisbee, or check out the playground with your kids. Or you can just sit, soak up the sun, and enjoy Mother Earth on Her Day.

Click on a photo below to enlarge it and see a slide show version of these photos:

Arborist Mike Hott of Harrisonburg Parks and Rec gave us some tree planting pointers.

Many loving hands to support a new tree for the park.

Rosie Lynch masterfully emceed the afternoon’s activities.

Mayor Deanna Reed addressed the group. Can Harrisonburg be an environmental leader?

CAAV founding member Anne Nielsen was honored for her many years of service with the planting of a black gum tree.

Anne offered some wise words before helping to plant the black gum tree.

CAAV celebrated 10 years as an organization at the Earth Day picnic. Chocolate cake must be mandatory for 10 year-olds’ birthdays!