Throughout the month of April, Columbia residents observe Arbor Day — the conservation holiday that encourages planting trees — with tree seedlings given out in fourth grade classrooms and at a Saturday farmers market. For Missourians, many of the Arbor Day tree seedlings originate at the state-run tree nursery.
This year, approximately 80,000 sycamore seedlings were sent to fourth graders across the state. The fast-growing tree is native to Missouri and does especially well in the state’s streamside habitats. Generally planted in spring, sycamores are beneficial for wildlife as the tree’s soft wood affords birds and small mammals a place to burrow.
The tiny trees begin their journey where they’re grown in the Texas County town of Licking. The seedlings are inspected by about a dozen staff at Missouri’s George O. White State Forest for length, thickness and root quality.
The nursery was founded by the U.S. Forest Service in the 1930s to assist landowners in reforesting the state. The Ozarks had been heavily logged as railroads stretched west.
The original site was just 40 acres and now stands at 100 acres. It’s owned and operated by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Nursery supervisor Mike Fiaoni manages the tree production facility, and selects the species that are sent — free of charge — to students across the state for Arbor Day. Teachers also receive materials to include in lessons about the species and how to plant the trees.
“We want to educate young students as far as the importance of trees, the values of trees and so this is the way we can do that … start reaching them at a young age,” Fiaoni said.
Fiaoni picked the sycamore for this year’s Arbor Day tree because it can grow well across the entire state. The seedlings are carefully packaged in bundles of 25. They’re placed on top of a bed of moss, given a spritz of water, wrapped in tear-proof paper, placed in a cardboard box and stacked in a UPS trailer for the journey across the state.
The nursery grows, cultivates, packages and ships 2 million bare-root seedlings to landowners, farmers, schools and local governments each year.
“A lot of folks think, ‘I want to do something for conservation but I'm one person or I don't have a lot of money. What can I do?’” Fiaoni said.
“By simply planting a tree — whether it lives 10 years, 20 years, maybe even 100 years — the ecosystem you're forming around that tree, the value that it's adding to your home or to the property, the oxygen it’s giving off, the value it's adding to the wildlife," he said. "There's just so much of an ecosystem that's going to evolve around that single tree … it's so important.”
From Licking to Columbia
This year, more than 1,000 of those seedlings traveled the 127 miles to Columbia and were given to enthusiastic farmers market shoppers, many of whom lined up early on a Saturday morning.
“We had people waiting,” said Eric Schmittel, a forester with the city of Columbia. “We showed up here probably about 6:30 — there were people waiting here already, and the line has just been around the corner.”
Schmittel manages trees in the city’s 70 parks and trails as well as those in the urban environment downtown. Schmittel orders around 15 to 20 species of seedlings to give away for Arbor Day and said the most sought-after are those that produce fruit, nuts or flowers. Columbia recognizes “Arbor Month” — culminating with the seedling giveaway.
“They're free first of all, which is everybody's favorite price, but then they're also really excited about the different varieties,” said Hollie Campbell, a member of a volunteer group called “TreeKeepers” who spent the morning handing out seedlings to eager market attendees.
The TreeKeepers are trained by city foresters on the basics of tree care — planting, pruning and watering — and assist in conservation projects across the city, including invasive honeysuckle removal.
Campbell has been a part of the group for three years and said she initially joined to learn more about trees and “give back” through conservation in her community.
“This is the only planet we have, and I think it's really important that we honor that,” Campbell said.
Cruz Chavez and his daughter Violetta waited in line at the farmers market hoping to score native fruit trees such as pawpaws, service berries or persimmons. Chavez plants a tree each year with his kids for Arbor Day.
“The tree kind of gets to grow with them. I think they get really excited seeing it get a little bigger every year,” Chavez said.
Since Violetta is learning about how trees help the environment in school, her father Cruz said she’s “obsessed” with planting trees. Including this year’s Arbor Day tree, and her favorite, the sycamore.
“I like the color when the bark comes off. I think it's really cool,” she said.
A local climate solution
Arbor Day’s roots began in Nebraska in the 19th century and has since grown into a globally-observed day of conservation.
For more than 50 years, the Arbor Day Foundation’s mission has been to help communities plant, nurture and celebrate trees.
“We talk a lot about trees … and the messaging we sometimes forget is it's not about the trees, it's about the people,” said Eric North, program manager for urban forestry at the Arbor Day Foundation.
North said trees can enhance quality of life. They improve water and air quality and can reduce the impacts of increasing severe weather caused by climate change like heat in the summer and wind in the winter.
“We feel very strongly and passionately that trees are really part of a big solution to help improve the lives of people living in communities, to help improve things that might be negatively impacting the climate,” he said.
North said as the threats of climate change intensify, the Arbor Day Foundation has heard from more people and organizations who want to implement the solution of planting trees. He helps those folks understand when, what and how to plant.
The city of Columbia has participated in the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program for 30 years, Schmittel said. To qualify, participating cities must observe Arbor Day, have a tree board or forestry department and commit a minimum $2 per capita annual investment in trees. Schmittel said the city of Columbia spends more than $5 per capita on trees each year.
Bare root seedlings like those cultivated at the state tree nursery and handed out each year at the Columbia Farmers Market are small and need care. Schmittel recommends residents place mulch around the seedling to help it maintain moisture and encircle it with wire to ward off critters. When watered, it can eventually grow into a mature tree.
“Especially these really small seedlings, you're not necessarily planting it for yourself,” Schmittel said. “You're planting it for future generations.”
Editor's note: Aminah Jenkins contributed reporting to this story.
