City, garden club plant six birch trees for Arbor Day

By Matthew Nash • November 25, 2020 1:30 am
City of Sequim Public Works employees, from left, Gary Butler, Roger Gilchrist, and Ryan Loghry plant birch trees on Nov. 20 as part of the city’s celebration of Arbor Day. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
City of Sequim Public Works employees, from left, Gary Butler, Roger Gilchrist, and Ryan Loghry plant birch trees on Nov. 20 as part of the city’s celebration of Arbor Day. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

With conditions ideal for planting, City of Sequim officials and staff along with community members continued the tradition of honoring Sequim’s Arbor Day by planting new trees, this time six clumping birch trees (Jacquemontii birch) in Pioneer Memorial Park, 387 E. Washington St.

About 20 people gathered for the ceremony, as Mayor William Armacost decreed Nov. 20 Arbor Day for the city.

Vina Winters, president of the Sequim Prairie Garden Club, said the new trees will have “beautiful, white bark that exfoliates and is stunning” in about three years.

The new trees line the back of the park by condos where pine trees used to stand. The birch trees will grow up to about 40 feet tall and 30 feet wide.

“We’re so excited to have this wonderful relationship with the City of Sequim,” Winters said.

The event recognized Sequim’s “Tree City USA” designation for the fourth year from the Arbor Day Foundation. For more information on Arbor Day, visit www.arborday.org.