Auburn, Ala. - The City of Auburn Tree Commission will host its annual Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 9 a.m. - noon at the Auburn University Arboretum, Kroger on Dean Rd, and Sam's Club. Members of the Tree Commission will distribute free Black Gum and Florida Maple tree seedlings to citizens while supplies last at these locations. Planting instructions will be included with the seedlings.

The Auburn Tree Commission is a citizen group appointed by the Auburn City Council. The Commission advises the City on proper tree care and planting and is committed to the growth and preservation of the urban tree canopy. In honor of the Auburn Tree Commission's efforts and the Arbor Day Celebration, Mayor Bill Ham, Jr. has declared Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 to be "Arbor Day" in the City of Auburn.

Pictured below, (standing, L-R) Auburn Tree Commission members Dennis Pinkard, Charlene LeBleu, and Edith Jones; City of Auburn Superintendent of Beautification and Urban Forestry James Jennings; and Auburn Tree Commission member Steve Eden pose with Mayor Bill Ham, Jr. (seated) at the Arbor Day proclamation signing.

The National Arbor Day Foundation has recognized the City of Auburn as a Tree City USA for the last 28 years. The program, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service, acknowledges the City's commitment to the four standards necessary to maintain Tree City USA status: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance. Auburn is one of 78 Alabama communities to be recognized as a Tree City USA, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.

Arbor Day in Alabama is celebrated in February because winter, a time when many trees are dormant, is the best time of year to plant most trees. Citizens of all ages are invited to be a part of the continued greening of Auburn by planting trees.

For more information, please visit www.auburnalabama.org/parks or contact the Auburn Parks and Recreation at 501-2930.