Welcome to ReLeaf News
Welcome to our ReLeaf Newsletter! Last year has been busy as we have worked to plant, promote, and protect trees here in Greenville.
In November, ReLeaf and the City of Greenville planted 47 trees in the Kearney Park neighborhood. By giving programs to civic organizations, we have promoted more trees in Greenville.
Through attendance at City of Greenville hearings and Board meetings, we have advocated for ordinances to protect our trees. Your generous support is greatly appreciated and has helped to make a greener Greenville.
ReLeaf and Greenville Arbor Day Celebration
ReLeaf holds yearly Arbor Day celebrations in partnership with Greenville’s Public Works Department. This event is one of the requirements for Greenville to maintain its Tree City USA status.
This year’s ceremony will begin in the media center of South Greenville Elementary School. Students were invited to submit one-page essays on The Importance of Trees. Six to ten winners will:
- Receive a $25 Barnes and Noble gift certificate
- Be featured in a group photo
- Receive a framed certificate of achievement
The ceremony will also include:
- An Arbor Day proclamation by Mayor PJ Connelly
- Presentation of the Tree City USA flag by Pitt County park ranger Robin Weber
- A slideshow about trees by Hannah Smith, Resource Conservation Specialist for Pitt County
The public is invited to watch contest winners, teachers, and ReLeaf board members plant trees on the school grounds. Greenville Public Works will prepare the planting site and guide students in proper tree planting techniques.
Upcoming Events
- ECU Earth Day Celebration Wednesday, April 23, 2025 ECU Student Center | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Green giveaways and sustainable practices.
- ReLeaf and Greenville Arbor Day Celebration Friday, April 25, 2025 South Greenville Elementary School, 811 Howell St., Greenville | 10:00 am
- Sierra Club Earth Day Celebration Saturday, April 26, 2025 East Carolina Village and Farm Museum, 4570 County Home Rd., Greenville | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
First United States Arbor Day
The first American Arbor Day was organized by J. Sterling Morton in Nebraska on April 10, 1872, when an estimated one million trees were planted.
In 1883, the American Forestry Association named Birdsey Northrop chairman of the Arbor Day campaign nationwide. He later brought the idea abroad, promoting Arbor Day in Japan, Australia, Canada, and Europe.
Source: N.H. Egleston (1896). Arbor Day: Its History and Observance. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
“The History of Arbor Day” – Arbor Day Foundation
Trees Cool the Earth’s Surface
Widespread 20th-century reforestation in the eastern United States has helped counter rising temperatures due to climate change, according to new research.
Key findings:
- Forests in the eastern U.S. today cool the land’s surface by 1–2°C (1.8–3.6°F) annually.
- Midday in summer shows the strongest effect, with trees lowering temperatures by 2–5°C (3.6–9°F).
“It’s all about figuring out how much forests can cool down our environment and the extent of the effect,” said Mallory Barnes, environmental scientist at Indiana University.
The study was published in the AGU journal Earth’s Future.
First United States Earth Day
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
- First held in 1970, Earth Day now includes over 1 billion people in 193+ countries.
- The idea was first proposed in 1969 by peace activist John McConnell at a UNESCO conference in San Francisco.
Source: The Independent, April 21, 2020
Source: Euronews, April 20, 2022
Commemorative Trees Planted Since August 2024
In Memory of:
Peggy Rose Corbitt, Samia Sullivan, Connie Minges Bond, Linda King Welch, William Richard Freelove, Edward T. Schlichting, Peter Stellato, Patricia Minges-Kalinowski, Camille Clark
In Honor of:
Lyndale Garden Club – 50 Years, Potpourri Garden Club, Kevin Heifferon