DES celebrates Arbor Day with kids and friends
State officials plant tree in partnership with childcare centers
On Friday, April 25, in celebration of Arbor Day, dozens of young children joined parents, teachers, and state officials with the Department of Enterprise Services and the Department of Natural Resources to plant an apple tree.
Celebrating this day is a long and dearly held tradition at the Capitol. This year, like years past, was a special event for the children who learn and play at the Capitol Campus Childcare Center in West Olympia, and the Capitol Childcare Center on East Campus.
As he welcomed kids, parents and teachers to the East Campus center's front lawn, DES interim director Matt Jones noted that caring for trees is like caring for kids:
"When they get what they need, we know they will thrive," he said.
He drew the same connection between tree care and DES' management of the state Capitol Campus:
"It's my job to lead a group of people who care for the land and buildings that you see all around you. We care for this place like we'll care for this tree. You have to think carefully about what it needs today and what it needs in the future. The decisions we make today will matter for many years to come."
Music marked the occasion, with children performing a tree-themed song, and Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove leading a singalong about three of Washington's signature trees: the Douglas fir, the bigleaf maple, and the madrona.
The Capitol Campus is an internationally accredited arboretum, an outdoor tree museum that hosts more than 100 types of trees, contributing to the urban tree canopy of Olympia and the Pacific Northwest. We're proud to continue collaborating with the parents, teachers and children of Capitol childcare centers, and Commissioner Upthegrove and his staff, in support of urban and community forestry.
More resources
Learn more about the benefits of trees on our Urban Forestry page.
Does your community enjoy a healthy forest? Find out at Treecanopy.us.
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DES Communications
communications@des.wa.gov
360-407-8200