Arbor Day Celebration

Join town officials and the Tree Board for the planting of a sourwood tree in Gold Park at 10 a.m. Oct. 4 as part of the Town of Hillsborough’s Arbor Day Celebration.

For the celebration, Mayor Tom Stevens will read an Arbor Day proclamation. The tree then will be ceremoniously planted near the pollinator garden, which is located by the train trestle at the town park, 415 Dimmocks Mill Road.

The Tree Board chose the sourwood for its shiny, crimson fall leaves and its fragrant flowers, which honey bees use to make highly prized sourwood honey. While North Carolina’s official Arbor Day is in April, the Tree Board chose to celebrate in October because fall is a good time for planting trees in this region.

The Arbor Day celebration also will help Hillsborough maintain its status as a Tree City USA, a designation earned by meeting the Arbor Day Foundation standards of sound urban forestry management. Those standards include maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day.

The Hillsborough Tree Board is an advisory board to the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners. The advisory board makes decisions about tree plantings in town rights of way and on town property.

Come early to garden

Before the tree planting, join experienced gardeners in pruning and weeding the pollinator garden from 8 to 10 a.m. Those who wish to help are asked to bring pruning shears, a weeding tool, gloves and a container to collect plant debris.

The Gold Park pollinator garden is maintained by the Orange County Master Gardener Program, which is administered through the Orange County Center for the N.C. Cooperative Extension. In addition to providing nectar and larval food for pollinators, the demonstration garden allows citizens to observe and learn about pollinators.

The Town of Hillsborough is a member of the Bee City USA program, working to raise awareness about the role pollinators play in sustaining more than 75 percent of the world’s plant species. A native “bee hotel” was installed adjacent to the garden last fall. For more information about the Bee City USA designation or the town’s public spaces, contact Public Space Manager Stephanie Trueblood by email or by phone at 919-296-9481.