Elementary student designs Arbor Day sticker
Cooper Elementary fourth grade student Lindsey Scheele designed the winning Arbor Day sticker for the city of Bella Vista’s bi-annual tree giveaway and Arbor Day celebrations this year.
Mike Abb, chairman of the Bella Vista Tree Board, said Scheele’s submission was one of 50 submissions in the contest, with 39 of those coming from Cooper Elementary students. He said this year marks the first year the sticker competition has been open to the public.
“We wanted to open it to the community to submit a design,” Abb said, noting the intention of the sticker is to give to community members who have signed up for the tree giveaway this Friday, April 12.
Abb said the Bella Vista Tree Board offers annual events and supports the tree canopy.
“We work on helping public policy in support of the tree canopy,” he said. “We also host the Arbor Day celebration and bi-annual tree giveaway.”
Abb added Bella Vista has become a part of the “Tree City USA” and “Monarch City USA” programs, noting Mayor Flynn will now plant a tree in the city annually.
Bella Vista’s tree giveaway, which community members needed to preregister for, will be held at the city administration building on Lancashire Boulevard. The event takes place Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., with Abb stating plants are sometimes unclaimed and community members may come to the event if they missed available spots in the preregistration period.
In honor of Arbor Day, the city is hosting a tree-identification walk on Saturday, April 20, and a tree planting ceremony at noon on Friday, April 26 at the Riordan Trail Head on Riordan Road. The tree-identification walk is limited to 20 participants while the tree planting ceremony is open to everyone to attend. Register for the walk at https://bit.ly/4aoirwl.
Stickers featuring Scheele’s design can be picked up by attendees at both events.
Abb said by community members getting stickers and putting them on their cars or other items, planting trees and plants this month and participating in Arbor Day, Bella Vista residents can help grow and maintain trees in the community.
“Support you trees, they make Bella Vista special,” he said. “Water them, plant them, do the right thing.”