Elkins resident Elaine Sheldon receives her tree as part of the ETB Adopt-A-Tree program. More trees will be donated to residents who fill out an application next year.

ELKINS — Elkins has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to plant, grow and maintain trees to benefit the community.

The Elkins Tree Board celebrated the recognition at the annual Arbor Day celebration at the Mountain School. The students and Tree Board members planted an oak tree at the Gilman Mountain School campus, with an official proclamation presented by Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco.

“There are only two cities in the state that have achieved this higher status,” said Marilynn Cuonzo, Elkins Tree Board chairperson. “Cities that receive this award demonstrate higher levels of tree care and community engagement during the calendar year.” Additionally, the Elkins Tree Board is one of the top West Virginia towns in number of reported tree board volunteer hours and trees plantings.

Mountain School students often assist the Tree Board at the tree nursery and with other maintenance efforts.

“Their contributions to Elkins’ urban forest efforts are invaluable,” Cuonzo added. The West Virginia Division of Forestry donated the Arbor Day tree and assisted with the planting.

WV Division of Forestry urban forester Sam Adams illustrates the proper way to plant a tree to Mountain School students during the Arbor Day event.

Other community Arbor Day plantings will include flowering trees in Glendale Park thanks to local Kroger store employees and students at Midland Elementary will plant a dogwood tree near their pollinator garden. The Tree Board’s Adopt-A-Tree event also took place during the Arbor Day celebrations. Seventeen free trees were distributed to Elkins residents to plant in their yards.

“Our goal is to create tree-lined streets in all the wards,” Cuonzo said. A limited number of trees and tree planting assistance will be available per ward next spring.

“Each year our town’s Arbor Day grows in participation,” said Cuonzo. “It all helps in growing Elkins greener. Anyone who wishes to get involved should contact us. Our Friends of Trees program is designed to encourage volunteerism. We always could use assistance with the maintenance of our urban forest and tree nursery.”

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Its network of more than a million supporters and partners has helped the organization plant more than 500 million trees in forests and communities across more than 60 countries since 1972. The Tree City USA program has recognized cities and towns that leverage urban forestry to enhance the livability and sustainability of their local area for over 50 years.

“We all have a role to play in shaping our future and tree champions like Elkins are leading the way,” said Michelle Saulnier, Vice President of Programs at the Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees are critical infrastructure, building resiliency and fostering good health in our nation’s cities. We’re proud Elkins is among the Arbor Day Foundation’s growing network of communities dedicated to creating positive impact through trees.”

Representatives from the Elkins Kroger also participated in Arbor Day tree plantings. From left, Sabrina Swecker, Janet Moss and HR Specialist Chase Ammons — from Kroger — plant a red oak and red maple at Glendale Park.

To earn Tree City USA recognition, a city must uphold four core standards including maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and participating in an Arbor Day celebration.

Elkins also received the Growth Award, which recognizes major milestones and annual activities that build sustainable community forestry programs over the long term.

The Elkins Tree Board can be followed on Facebook (Elkins Friends of Trees) or emailed at elkinstreeboard@gmail.com. Information is also on the City of Elkins website.

Tree Board chair Marilynn Cuonzo, left, and member Iris Allen, help attach the Adopt-A-Tree containers safely to the newly installed tree nursery fencing, funded by a recent WV DOF Community Tree Grant.