While many holidays celebrate remembering something that has already happened, Arbor Day emb0odies hope for the future. Arbor Day will be celebrated in Bridgeport on Saturday, April 22, 2023, as proclaimed by Mayor Beyer. Festivities will begin in West City Park at 2:30 p.m. with a tree planting demonstration provided by the North Platte NRD, followed by the planting of four trees with assistance from Bridgeport FFA and 4-H youth, and members of the Bridgeport Tree Board.The public is welcome to participate and encouraged to celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees.
At the April regular city council meeting, the Bridgeport Tree Board announced that Bridgeport received the Tree City USA Growth Award, presented by the Arbor Day Foundation, for its achievements during 2022. Accomplishments that qualified Bridgeport include utility tree care and removing dead trees; celebrating Arbor Day; youth and tree board education, training, workshops; and applying for grants and tree planting projects, which allowed the city to distribute approximately 60 trees to community members while an additional 25 were planted in public spaces, thanks to generous grants and assistance from the Arbor Day Foundation, Nebraska Forest Service, North Platte NRD .
Bridgeport benefits in many ways since becoming recognized as a member ofTree City USA for the past few years and is actively involved in growing our urban forest by encouraging tree care and planting programs, involving our community members in planting and caring for trees, and promoting awareness that our urban forest is aging—our children and grandchildren will benefit from the trees we plant today. Trees provide so many benefits— reducing energy usage (up to 25%), provide shade and cool neighborhoods (7-9 degrees), filter storm water and slow water runoff, remove air pollutants, absorb CO2, absorb traffic sounds (up to 40%), improve property values, and green space improves our mental and physical health.
