City of Lacey recognizes Arbor Month and Earth Day with tree exchange, park cleanup

Recommitting to environmental stewardship, the City of Lacey issued proclamations on Tuesday recognizing April as Arbor Month and April 22 as Earth Day.

The two proclamations recognize the city’s obligation to its natural areas and encourage Lacey residents to be aware of their environmental impacts and engage in stewardship opportunities.

One upcoming opportunity is a series of Earth Day volunteer events organized by the PARC Foundation of Thurston County at five parks across Thurston County on April 18.

One of the events takes place at Lacey’s Woodland Creek Community Park, where volunteers will focus on habitat restoration along Woodland Creek.

Other sites include Squaxin Park, Tumwater Historical Park, Tenino City Park and Frye Cove Park.

Students from local schools are encouraged to come out to compete. In partnership with The Lions Club, the PARC Foundation is giving away $1,000 to the school with the most student volunteers. The runner-up school will receive $500.

Gloves, tools, and light refreshments will be provided. Volunteers are asked to wear sturdy shoes that are appropriate for outdoor work.

“On behalf of the PARC Foundation of Thurston County, we are grateful for your continued leadership and protecting and investing in our natural spaces that make the community very special,” Thurston County PARC Foundation CEO Heather Antanaitis told Lacey City Council during the Earth Day proclamation celebration on April 7. “Your commitment to parks, environment, stewardship and accessible recreation ensures that all residents, today and generations to come, can enjoy a healthy, vibrant place to live.”

The PARC Foundation of Thurston County is a nonprofit that works to enhance parks, arts, recreation and cultural activities within the county.

“We really appreciate everything the PARC Foundation does for our community,” said Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder.

The City of Lacey is celebrating Arbor Month — a month-long extension of the Arbor Day holiday — through an annual tree exchange with its sister city, Yelm.

Lacey gave its tree to City of Yelm Building Official Chris Vaccarro on Tuesday. Yelm will give its own tree to the City of Lacey during an Arbor Day celebration at 5:30 p.m. on April 23.

“Arbor Day is a very wonderful opportunity for us to maintain and protect our urban forests which do provide protection and beauty to all of our neighborhoods, businesses, places that all of us love to frequent,” Vaccarro said Tuesday. “It’s just really a wonderful opportunity to educate and learn and plant and grow, as cities and families do.”

The City of Lacey held its annual Arbor Day plant giveaway on April 2.

The city is recognized as one of the first in Washington state to be recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation as a “Tree City USA.” The designation recognizes municipalities that met the foundation’s core standards for urban forestry management.

Lacey has held the designation for 32 years and has earned a special Growth Award twice, according to the National Arbor Day Foundation.