Philadelphia Celebrates Arbor Day By Planting Trees, Bushes Around City
By Paul Kurtz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The City of Philadelphia celebrated Arbor Day Friday as it does every year, by planting trees and shrubs.
The shovels were going full speed outside Marian Anderson Recreation Center in South Philly as volunteers planted a variety of trees and rose bushes.
"We're here to celebrate Tree Philly which is a great citywide initiative to really engage local residents around the importance of planting trees," says Katherine Ott-Lovell, ex. director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy.
She says the event also features a tree giveaway.
Joe Gasiewski came in from Overbrook to snap up three trees.
"We got two Easter Red Buds and a Black Gum. We're actually picking up one of the Red Buds for our neighbor, they lost a tree in the storm so they're trying to replenish. So [we're] trying to make Overbrook a little greener, still," Gasiewski explains.
The Tree Philly program has given away nearly 10,000 trees in recent years as part of a campaign by the Nutter Administration to improve the city's tree canopy.
