Free trees handed out for Earth, Arbor days

FINDLAY — The Findlay community will have had 250 opportunities to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day by the end of the week. The Findlay Shade Tree Commission had 250 oak tree seedlings to hand out in celebration of America's 250th anniversary. Member Jane Ebersole said the theme this week is "Oaks Rooted for Findlay's Future." A partnership with Hancock Soil and Water Conservation allowed the tree commission to acquire 250 oak seedlings which measure 18-inches by 24-inches in height, she said. The oak has been the country's official tree since 2004. Ebersole said 73 seedlings were distributed April 12 when the John Hancock Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution hosted a Liberty Tree dedication ceremony in collaboration with the Hancock Historical Museum. The event took place at the museum's Brucklacher Memorial Park, located by the Little Red School House. The remaining 177 seedlings will be available at three different events this week as the community celebrates Earth Day on Wednesday and Arbor Day on Friday, Ebersole said. Each tree comes with an instructional flyer on how to plant and care for the seedling as well as the benefits of oaks as part of the city's infrastructure. The day, time and locations include: • A Heritage Tree planting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the new Hancock County Board of Elections office, 410 Olive St. This initiative — which will see a tree planted in each of Ohio's 88 counties — started in April 2025 in Allen County. Representatives from America 250-Ohio, the state commission charged with planning Ohio's part in the nation's Semiquincentennial celebration, visited Lima to help plant a white oak tree at Lima Stadium Park. The program aims to honor the state's past, shape its present, and leave a lasting environmental legacy for the future. The public is welcome to attend. • A Findlay STC Arbor Day event for students, staff and parents will be held on Friday from 2-3:30 p.m. at Jacobs Preschool, 600 Jacobs Ave. • On Saturday, the Hancock Historical Museum, 422 W. Sandusky St., during an America 250 Family History event from 5-8 p.m. If any seedlings are left, they will be available at the Office of Public Works, 330 N. Cory St., on Monday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.