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Hickam celebrates another year as a Tree City USA

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Terri Paden
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  JBPHH reaffirmed its standing as a "Tree City USA" with a tree planting ceremony in Hickam Community's Hale Na Koa housing area here Nov. 7.

The ceremony marks the 15th year Hickam has celebrated Hawaii's Arbor Day by recommitting itself to being a good steward of the environment.

According to www.arborday.org the Tree City USA program is a national program that provides the framework for community forestry management for cities and towns in America. Communities achieve Tree City status by maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day.

Hickam joins more than 3,400 other Tree City communities in the U.S.

"Being a Tree City USA means that we as a Department of Defense organization support the message that trees add to the community, they help the environment and they add beauty to housing," said Matt Flach, JBPHH landscape architect and Tree City USA representative.

JBPHH leadership, housing officials and third graders from Hickam Elementary School marked the day with the planting of a Jacaranda tree, soon to be followed by seven more in the coming weeks, on 11th Ave.

Flach said the tree, which will eventually bloom large lavender colored flowers, was selected for its historical significance.

"Hickam housing is a historic area and we chose this particular tree because it keeps in line with the type of tree that was originally planted on this street," he said. "Each street in housing has a specific tree planted on it that gives it its own unique identity and the tree in the historic plan for 11th Ave is the Jacaranda."

In addition to planting the Jacaranda tree, the official Arbor Day proclamation was read by Lt. Col. Karla Heren, 647th Air Base Group deputy commander, urging all citizens to observe Arbor Day. Though nationally Arbor Day has been formally recognized on the last Friday in April since 1805, many states recognize Arbor Day on a day that reflects the best time for tree planting in that region. Arbor Day is celebrated the first Friday in November in Hawaii.

"It's exciting for me to have a new tree planted today and to be a part of Arbor Day," Heren said before reading the proclamation.

The event also proved to be educational for the keiki in attendance who will now forever be a part of the historic housing area's history.

"I feel good about planting more trees ... I'm proud," said Dylan Dykes, a Hickam Elementary School third grader. "It's important to plant more trees which are used for air and wood and other stuff."