Arbor Day was celebrated at Fall River's North Park on April 27, 2012 with the planting of a sequoia tree donated by David Rose. Former Fall River Mayor and current Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Ed Lambert, Jr., was on hand to celebrate the event and to underscore the value of trees in any community. The event was emceed by Park Advocates coordinator Sandy Dennis who acknowledged the many contributions that made the event possible. Mayor William Flanagan read an Arbor Day proclamation and praised the work of Fall River Street Tree Planting coordinator Mary Ann Wordell, who then thanked the Rose family for their donation and the work of the  Davey Resource Group who has been assisting the City with improving its tree resources over the past six months  with funds from an Urban Forestry Challenge (UCF) grant that the City of Fall River received last year. Click here for a video of the event. Click here and here for two Herald News stories and here for their video of the moving process. Click here for photos of an urban forestry workshop. For more information about the Street Tree Planting program, contact Mary Ann Wordell at 508-679-8887.

(Top row, left) Patrick Dale of Dale Tree Movers and Tree Farm in E. Falmouth, MA drives one of three stakes for cables that will keep the tree upright. (Top row, center) Fall River Mass In Motion coordinator Julianne Kelly chats with former mayor and DCR Commissioner Ed Lambert and Fall River City Councilor Dave Dennis. (Top row, right) Park Advocates coordinator Sandy Dennis welcomes the group to the Arbor Day ceremony. (Middle row) Emily Hamilton of Davey Resource Group talks about the sequoia tree after Mayor Flanagan reads a proclamation for Arbor Day. (Bottom row, left) DCR Commissioner Lambert praises the work of Mary Ann Wordell who has served as tree steward for the City for more than 20 years. (Bottom row, center) Members of the Rose family and the man who originally planted the tree in Mr. Rose's yard twenty years ago, pose for a photos. (Bottom row, right) Ms. Hamilton thanks the crew of Dale Tree Movers for their work in planting the Sequoia as Ms. Dennis listens.