Activities ranged from tree scavenger hunts, animal identification stations, pine cone bird feeder craft stations and tree giveaways.
FULTON – Families came out to Veterans Park in Fulton to celebrate Arbor Day early on Saturday. The Fulton Garden Club and Fulton Stream Team partnered to make the event possible.
Arbor Day is a day that encourages people to plant trees. This year, it will be observed on Friday, April 28, according to a tree planting non-profit’s website.
Activities at Saturday’s event ranged from tree scavenger hunts, animal identification stations, pine cone bird feeder craft stations and tree giveaways.
Fulton’s mayor, Steve Myers, attended to give a proclamation on Arbor Day and presented awards for the winner of the Arbor Day drawing contest.
The drawing contest tasked children to create a design that they submitted to the city of what they pictured Arbor Day to be. Over 100 kids participated. The winner, Shyanne Renner, was beyond surprised by her results.
“I like drawing and I wanted to see if I’d win because I never won a contest before and it was just fun to try,” Shyanne said.
Shyanne said her inspiration for her design was trying to capture different aspects of nature.
“I thought half of the drawing would be like a sun setting and the other half would be when the sun rises because that’s when nature looks really beautiful,” Shyanne said.
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Outside of the contest, Shyanne said she enjoyed going to the different learning stations and having fun.
Learning how fun nature can be and just being outside was the biggest objective for Fulton Garden Club Corresponding Secretary Connie Willenburg.
“There’s so much stress in the world, and playing in the dirt is the easiest, cheapest and most fun stress reliever ever,” Willenburg said.” I think if more kids knew that they would get out and enjoy it more.”
Willenburg also volunteers with South Callaway Elementary School to help assist the junior gardening club. She meets with students like Shyanne and teaches them about different plants and how to grow their own.
“We’ve planted seeds in milk jugs and those seeds have sprouted. We’re going to transport them and the kids will take them home for the summer and play with them, nurture them and bring them back in the fall to plant around the school,” Willenburg said.
Willenburg also emphasized the importance of not just recognizing Arbor day, but also taking action.
“Trees are amazing at cleaning up the atmosphere and cleaning air pollution. That’s the cheapest, fastest, easiest thing we can do. Plant trees, plant flowers, teach our kids to enjoy being outside,” Willenburg said.
For kids like Shyanne, she said that this event was more than just about winning a contest.
“I learned that there are all kinds of nature, and there are beautiful parts of all of it,” Shyanne said.