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Arbor Day (2022)

Keep-Soddy Daisy Beautiful, in conjunction with Ivy Academy and the City of Soddy-Daisy sponsored the city’s first Arbor Day Celebration on March 5th, 2022. A mix of hardwood and flowering trees were planted at Pine Tree Park (also known as the Bird Sanctuary) on Dayton Pike. The park, located on Soddy Lake, is used year-round to kayak, cool off in the lake, picnic, fish, or just relax and enjoy the beautiful view. 

2022 marks the 150th Anniversary of the first Arbor Day. According to the Arbor Day Foundation (www.arborday.org), trees help slow climate change, filter our air and water, foster biodiversity, and strengthen our communities. Arbor Day is now celebrated across the United States and in more than 50 countries around the world.

Jim Stewart, who is coordinating the event, comments “This event could not have taken place without the support of several key groups, including:

  • The City of Soddy-Daisy Board of Commissioners (Mayor Rick Nunley, Vice Mayor Robert Cothran, and Commissioners Gene-O Shipley, Jim Coleman, and Steve Everett), City Manager (Burt Johnson), and Director of Public Works (Steve Grant).
  • Ivy Academy Staff and Students led by Angie Markum and Emily Wiedemann.
  • Volunteers with Keep Soddy-Daisy Beautiful, including co-founders Cindi and Nate Sanden, Ian Quilliams, Pam Glaser, Juanita Wade and Curtis Cecil. Special thanks to Ian, a certified arborist, for selecting the trees and determining their optimal planting locations.
  • Donors who provided materials, refreshments, and funding: Ricko’s Pizza, Floyd Hardware, Black Fox Farms and several anonymous individuals.

We will learn from this first Arbor Day event and plans are already underway for a larger celebration and more tree planting in the coming years.”

Information on the sponsoring organizations is provided below.

Nestled between wooded mountain ridges and sparkling Soddy Lake, Soddy-Daisy captures the best of both rural and urban life. With Chattanooga less than twenty minutes away, residents enjoy the pleasures and conveniences of a large metropolitan area tempered with the small-town friendliness and spectacular beauty that characterize Soddy-Daisy. https://soddy-daisy.org/ 

Keep Soddy-Daisy Beautiful is a volunteer-driven organization whose goal is to help support and improve our community and the surrounding area. https://keepsoddydaisybeautiful.org 

The mission of Ivy Academy, located in Soddy-Daisy, is to provide a quality educational program with an emphasis on scholarship, environmental stewardship, and volunteerism for all students, designed to prepare them to positively influence society and nature. http://www.ivyacademychattanooga.com/home

To volunteer, donate, or for more information on Soddy-Daisy’s First Arbor Day Celebration, contact Jim Stewart at [email protected] 

Trees Planted for Soddy-Daisy’s First Annual Arbor Day Celebration-March 5, 2022

AT THE PARK ENTRANCE:

Yoshino Cherry

Yoshino Cherry (2)

The Yoshino cherry (also known as the Japanese flowering cherry) is the darling of the flowering tree world and the star of such renowned events as the National and International Cherry Blossom Festivals. This stand-out tree is, of course, known for its vibrant display of white-pink blossoms and faint almond fragrance in the springtime. In the summer, this tree will be a highlight in the yard with its beautiful branching pattern, glossy bark and dark green leaves.

  • Blooms March through April in a profusion of fragrant white-pink flowers
  • Is deer-resistant, seldom severely damaged
  • Features an unusual form with a lovely branching pattern
Muskogee Crape Myrtle

Muskogee Crape Myrtle (2)

A stately variety, the Muskogee crape myrtle is a great choice for lining a path, road, or property line. Its light lavender-colored blossoms appear in clusters in the summer, and they continue to bloom for up to 100 days. The lavender color is then followed by red-orange foliage in the autumn.

  • Produces clusters of lavender flowers in the summer
  • Provides red-orange fall color
Eastern Redbud

Eastern Redbud (2)

Known as the harbinger of spring, the Eastern Redbud’s delicate blossoms and buds are one of the season’s most dramatic displays. But this tree’s beauty doesn’t end with its flowery show. Unique and irregular branching patterns combine with a trunk that commonly divides close to the ground to create a very handsome, spreading and often flat-topped crown.

  • Blooms in a profusion of rosy pink flowers in April
  • Features heart-shaped leaves that emerge a reddish color, turning dark green as summer approaches and then yellow in the fall
  • Makes a bold landscape statement, with its irregular branching and graceful crown

INSIDE THE PARK:

Willow Oak

Willow Oak (2)

A handsome oak with willow-like leaves. Foliage is light to bright green in summer and yellow, yellow-brown and russet in fall. Relatively fast-growing, it tolerates poorly drained soil. 

Willow oak acorns are a top food preference for whitetail deer, squirrels, wild turkeys, quail and some songbirds. Wood ducks and mallards also eat the acorns when stands of these trees are flooded.

River Birch

River Birch (2)

As its name suggests, the river birch naturally grows along riverbanks. But as a landscape tree, it can be planted almost anywhere in the U.S. The species is valued for its relatively rapid growth, tolerance of wetness and some drought, unique curling bark, spreading limbs, and relative resistance to birch borer.

Kousa Dogwood (Japanese Dogwood)

Kousa Dogwood (Japanese Dogwood) (2)

Dogwood trees are widely known for their delicate beauty, and the kousa variety adds a toughness that makes this species an excellent choice for home landscapes and urban areas. In spring, it produces a heavenly array of star-like blooms. In summer, its intriguing canopy of layered branches provides shade and beauty. In autumn, it offers spectacular bright red color. Even in winter, this tree has an appeal all its own with bark that resembles a jigsaw puzzle.

  • Produces late-blooming white flowers and purple and scarlet fall leaves
  • Features intriguing canopy of layered branches
  • Adapts to many conditions
October Glory Maple

October Glory Maple (1)

Bring home the colors of fall with this stunning October Glory maple! The tree’s foliage turns a brilliant orange and red hue in late autumn, and as an added bonus, produces tiny red blooms each spring. This variety is also a relatively fast grower, adding 13–24” of height on average each year.

  • Displays brilliant orange and red foliage in late fall
  • Produces tiny red blooms in spring
  • Yields small fruit that attracts birds and other wildlife
  • Grows relatively quickly
Autumn Blaze Maple

Autumn Blaze Maple (1)

Searching for a classic fall tree with an incredible color payoff? Look no further than the Autumn Blaze maple, known for its bright scarlet foliage that turns late in the season. This popular variety has won back-to-back awards for “Urban Tree of the Year” and is also a fast grower, averaging two feet per year.

  • Displays brilliant orange and scarlet foliage in late fall
  • Grows an average of 2′ per year 
Natchez Crape Myrte

Natchez Crape Myrte (2)

Natchez is a popular variety of crapemyrtle thanks to its clusters of cotton-white blossoms, exfoliating bark, and vivid fall color. This hardy tree is one of the tallest crapemyrtles and blooms for as many as 100 days throughout the summer — a lovely addition to any yard.

  • Produces clusters of white flowers in the summer
  • Features exfoliating bark
  • Provides red-orange fall color
  • Is highly mildew-resistant

The above images and descriptions taken from The Arbor Day Foundation website at: https://www.arborday.org/

Please direct any questions to Jim Stewart at: [email protected] 


Photos from the Event

Photo Credits: Ivy Academy Chattanooga


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