(Richland PIO) – Richland County and the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District will hold an Arbor Day Celebration at Watkins-Nance Elementary School in Columbia on Friday, Dec. 1. Five classes will take part in an official tree planting that morning.
Richland County Councilman Paul Livingston (District 4) will attend the celebration and is scheduled to present a proclamation recognizing Dec. 1 as Arbor Day in Richland County.
Later that day, the celebration will continue with a school assembly at 12:30 p.m. Richland County Councilman Paul Livingston (District 4) will kick off the assembly with a presentation of a proclamation recognizing Dec. 1 as Arbor Day in Richland County. “Edu-tainer” Tim Womick, who combines his love of performing with his love of nature, will provide entertainment at the assembly. Womick’s goal is to educate people about the importance of trees and forests and to inspire community action.
Founded in 1872, Arbor Day encourages individuals and groups to plant trees, which benefit air, water and wildlife and provide natural beauty. According to the nonprofit Nature Conservancy, trees benefit our physical and mental health and the health of our planet, as they help to:
- absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the air
- purify the air by releasing oxygen
- conserve water and reduce soil erosion from runoff
- enhance the beauty of our surroundings, which can reduce stress and lower blood pressure
While National Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April, South Carolina’s Arbor Day is the first Friday in December. The difference in dates comes from trees in South Carolina being more easily established when planted in the winter, according to the S.C. Forestry Commission.
The County’s celebration is sponsored by the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District, Wesley Church and Richland County in cooperation with the S.C. Forestry Commission, the U.S. Forest Service and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, and Palmetto Pride.