With spring, along comes Arbor Day

What better time than California Arbor Week to celebrate the coming of spring.

Springtime is also the best time to think about planting a tree — for practical reasons, for aesthetic reasons, or in memory of a loved one, according to Catherine Bernard, a member of the Colusa Tree Commission.

"I love trees," Bernard said. "Colusa's trees are possibly the defining character of the city."

Before Bernard moved to Colusa from Oakland with her husband David in 2005, she knew she wanted to live in a tree-green city.

"When I first drove down 10th Street, it took my breath away," Bernard said. "I knew this was where I wanted to live."

Arbor Day, a nationally recognized event, was the brainchild of Julius Sterling Morton (1832-1902), a Nebraska journalist and politician, who worked to improve agricultural techniques throughout the United States, while serving as President Grover Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture.

Arbor Day is celebrated, generally by the planting of trees, at varying times during the spring, depending on individual state growing seasons.

In California, Arbor Week is celebrated the week that includes March 7, which is Luther Burbank's birthday.

Burbank was a late 19th century and early 20th century horticulturist, best known for research on hybridization.

Bernard, Jim Davison and Charlie Tuttle sit of the city's Tree Commission, which was established to give the City Council direction for continued development and maintenance of the city's tree.

"Charlie knows every tree in Colusa," Bernard said. "He also knows when one goes missing."

Although residents can be fined up to $3,000 for the unauthorized removal of a city tree on what is traditionally called, 'the mow strip,' Bernard said most people see the practical and aesthetic value of caring for the trees that line Colusa's streets.

Trees clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, Bernard said. They catch rainfall, decrease soil erosion and saves residents on cooling costs in the summer and heating costs in the winter, by providing a wind break.

"Trees cool entire neighborhoods by releasing moisture into the air and shading surfaces like parking lots and streets that hold in the heat," Bernard said.

Bernard said the trees located adjacent to the streets and in all city parks and property belong to the city, fall under the city's established tree code.

"Memorial Park (10th and Market) was laid out in a formal patter over 100 years ago by the good ladies of Colusa," Bernard said. "Over the years, some trees have been lost, while other have been planted, but the pattern is still discernible to the curious eye."

Bernard said the Tree Commission would like to encourage the public to consider donating a tree in celebration of Arbor Week or as a living memorial to honor a loved one or respected member of the community.

The city has 15 approved trees on the list for planting, chosen for their growth patterns, disease resistance and root system.

Contact Susan Meeker at 458-2121 or smeeker@tcnpress.com.