Towns celebrate Arbor Day

If the folks who founded Gardnerville had planted a London plane tree back when the town was founded in 1879, it would just be hitting its height of 75-100-feet on Friday.

Gardnerville planted two of the trees that have several-century long lifespans, according to Town Arborist Geoffrey Lacost.

“When it gets very tall, it will spread all the way over the park,” Lacost said.

A score of Girl Scouts from Troops 52, 287 and 328 helped plant the trees at Gardner Park in Gardnerville.

The hole was already dug on the east end of the park and the Scouts filled it in until the tree was lowered into the hole as Lacost described what was happening to the girls.

“You’re supposed to make a hole two to three times as large as the ball of the tree,” he said.

Up above the surrounding ground make a well around it. That’s what we’re planting, should live between 200-300 years.

Gardnerville is a Tree City USA town and spends a certain portion of our budget on trees,” Town Manager Erik Nilssen said. “What we have to do on Arbor Day is plant two trees and we have to read a proclamation.”

According to the proclamation, Arbor Day is only seven years older than Gardnerville, which celebrates 144 years this year.

Over in Genoa, a blue spruce tree was planted in the town park.

Paid for by the state for becoming a FirewiseUSA Fire Adapted Community, according to program Coordinator Kelli Nevills.