It was a fun day in Newborn last Saturday at the 25th annual Arbor Day celebration. The Town of Newborn and Newborn Tree Board planned and coordinated the event with help from the Oconee Master Gardeners. Other sponsors and participants included Mansfield Market Place, Arbor Equity, Inc., APC Signs, Georgia Forestry Commission, and Georgia Tree Council. The event was held at the Historic Schoolhouse in Newborn. A local group of musicians, the Maloy brothers, provided bluegrass music throughout the day from the front porch of the Schoolhouse. It is estimated that over 200 residents attended the celebration.

The Newborn Tree Board received a Georgia ReLeaf Grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission and Georgia Tree Council for $2000 to purchase trees for a tree giveaway. A total of 220 three gallon containerized trees, including 11 different species, were purchased from Angel Creek Nursery for the giveaway. The Town of Newborn also sponsored a100 seedlings and the Georgia Forestry Commission provided another 100 seedlings to be given away. Debbie Clement, Tree Board member and Oconee Master Gardener, coordinated about 15 Master Gardeners, to distribute the trees and bag up the tree seedlings for distribution. For grant reporting purposes locations were recorded of where the trees went. Most of the trees were given to local residents from Newborn, Jasper, and Newton counties, however, totals showed the trees went out to 13 different counties and 22 different zip codes.

Newborn mayor Gregg Ellwanger read the Arbor Day Proclamation and presented sponsors with appreciation certificates.

Mansfield Market Place sponsored lunch for everyone. Ricky Bruce, owner of the grocery store, brought out a Coca Cola truck for the event and provided hotdogs, chips, drinks and other goodies for everyone.

Arbor Equity Inc., a local tree care company, had a crew out providing tree climbing about 50 feet up a large Oak tree next to the Schoolhouse. The kids were put in a harness and instructed how to pull themselves up the ropes like tree climbers. About 50 kids participated in the activity.

Community Forester Lea Clark, from the Georgia Forestry Commission, provided tree planting and care booklets and along with Tree Board members provided tree planting instructions and demonstrations for homeowners on proper tree planting procedures.

Rangers from the Jasper/Jones/Newton Forestry Unit of Georgia Forestry Commission were there with a display of wildfire fighting equipment and provided information to families on preventing wildfires. Firefighters from Newton County Fire Service were also there providing fire education and showing off the firetruck from the Mansfield-Newborn Station.