Macomb County has marked Arbor Day by joining with officials from the Village of Romeo and members of the Romeo Tree Board to plant 10 trees at Trailside Park in Romeo, including Tulip Trees, White Pine, White Oak, and Black Gum.
"This is our second year celebrating Arbor Day here at Trailside Park in Romeo, and I'm so happy to see the improvements our plantings have brought to this space," said Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel. "Our efforts are transforming this park into a more beautiful and welcoming place for everyone and through our Green Macomb program, we hope to have this impact all across the County.”
Trailside Park is located along the Macomb Orchard Trail near 32 Mile Road and Van Dyke. The park is a former Macomb County Road Commission storage site which was redeveloped into natural space. The planting of trees within the park continues the site’s transformation into an outdoor destination in northern Macomb County.
Village officials and Tree Board members have worked to increase trees within their community due to their proven benefits.
“The Village of Romeo, our Tree Board, and residents value and enjoy our prized tree canopy,” said Meagan Poznanski, president, the Village of Romeo. “We thank Macomb County along with the Green Macomb program for continuing to partner with and invest in the Village of Romeo.”
The event was led by Macomb County Planning and Economic Development (MCPED), which will host several plantings this season through its Green Macomb Urban Forest Partnership. Launched in 2016, the program aims to double tree canopy in Macomb County.
“Currently Macomb’s tree cover is 26 percent, which falls short of the USDA recommendation of a 40 percent cover or better in urban areas,” said Gerard Santoro, program director for parks and natural resources, MCPED. “But we’re committed to changing this statistic, and community partners like the Village of Romeo put us ever closer to our goal.”
More information on green canopy in Macomb County can be found www.greenmacomb.com.
Gerard Santoro
586-469-5285
gerard.santoro@macombgov.org
