Tree City celebrates Arbor Day with Millersburg first-graders

Tree City may be a national organization, but its chapters range nationwide, including one in Millersburg, where in celebration of Arbor Day 2026, Tree City USA Millersburg planted another tree on the property of Millersburg Elementary, as it has done the past decade.

Tree City USA is a program run by the Arbor Day Foundation and recognizes cities and towns for taking care of their public trees and committing to urban forestry.

The organization recognizes communities that show they are serious about planting, maintaining and protecting trees.

To earn the title, a community must meet four basic standards: having a tree board or department, having a tree care ordinance, spending money on tree programs, and celebrating Arbor Day with tree planting or events.

That last standard was on full display for the Millersburg Elementary first-graders who gathered around a young dogwood tree that was being planted on the hillside on the north side of the school.

Tree City USA Millersburg member Chad Cline said planting trees, especially with the younger children in mind, is valuable because it plants the seed of conservation and responsibility in their minds, combined with the knowledge they learn from the planting.

“We’ve taken the initiative to plant and maintain trees,” Cline said of Tree City USA Millersburg. “We usually split the budget between planting and maintenance to prolong the lives of the trees. We do remove trees too when they are damaged.”

He said they tag team with the Village of Millersburg so the village can reap the benefits of the beauty and usefulness of the trees.

Tree City USA Millersburg recently received its 11-year award, and in that time, it has planted many trees throughout the village.

Trevor Berger, program director at Holmes Soil & Water Conservation District, served as the educator during the event, dispensing a barrage of information about the important role trees play in the ecology and lives of people, animals and insects.

He spoke first about the many benefits of trees, from creating oxygen to providing shade, making food for people and wildlife, preventing erosion, serving as homes for animals, being utilized for furniture and homes, adding beauty to communities and nature and more.

"Trees are great for us, they are great for the environment and they are great for wildlife,” Berger told the students. “There are a lot of things that we can learn from trees. There are things we get from trees and things trees do for us that help us every day.”

Berger then focused on the specifics of the dogwood tree, discussing when the tree will bloom, what it will look like, where it thrives, the care it needs when it’s young, and how tall and wide it will eventually get.

He also spoke about the dangers of planting a larger tree anywhere near power lines and the importance of planning where trees need to be planted to be safe and productive.

That was important because the SWCD provided an eastern redbud tree sapling for every single student to take home. Meanwhile, Tree City Millersburg member Arlie Rodhe provided ice cream for the students, ensuring this day would be remembered for some time.

However, before the kids received their trees and enjoyed their ice cream, they helped plant the dogwood tree, which will be the final tree planted at the current Millersburg Elementary location.

From making sure the tree was straight to filling the hole with dirt, tamping it down and making sure the root system was planted correctly, several students participated in the planting.

Cline said with this being the final time the group will plant for first-graders at the current Millersburg school location, they have made a commitment to continue to plant trees and educate first-graders at the new K-5 elementary at the high school complex west of town.

“The administration at the school and at the Village of Millersburg have already made that commitment,” Cline said. “We are going to continue the tradition, and it’s going to grow. Instead of having 60 students, we will probably have close to 120 students.”

He said seeing the excitement in the kids is always rewarding and commended the Millersburg teachers for taking time and putting in effort to educate kids on trees and conservation.

In planting more trees, Tree City USA promotes healthier, more livable communities and in the process improves air quality, reduces heat, beautifies neighborhoods and increases property values.