Barking Up the Right Tree, Oxford Preserves Its Tree City USA Status

December 21, 2015

Although not planted at an Oxford Arbor Day celebration, this row of evergreens found on county Road 215 serves as an example of our community's love of trees. Photos by Jeff McVay — Although not planted at an Oxford Arbor Day celebration, this row of evergreens found on county Road 215 serves as an example of our community’s love of trees.
Photos by Jeff McVay

Arbor Day was just was just a cool phrase for most Oxonians until 1997. In that year, the nation-wide celebration took place on the fourth Friday in February. Today, the annual event is recognized on the fourth Friday in April.

Oxford Mississippi was name a Tree City USA in 1997
1997’s significance to Oxford and its surrounding area is that in that year, the National Arbor Day Foundation named Oxford a Tree City USA, an honor not casually awarded.

To qualify, a community must meet four rigorous standards: it must have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program and regular Arbor Day observances. Thankfully, Oxford met them all and enjoys a well-organized Arbor Day celebration to this day.

“Oxford has maintained this status for 19 years. We’ve also received 10 Growth Awards which places us in the ‘sterling’ Tree City USA category,” Retired USDA Forest Service, Y-Lt. and professional clown (seriously), John Arrechea said.

“To qualify for a growth award, a community must spend at least as much on the forestry program’s current year as it did in the previous year,” he added.

Since receiving the award, Oxford has planted and cared for numerous trees around the community:

Southern Magnolias along Highway 7 in front of the Conference Center

A Shumard oak at the corner of North Lamar Avenue and Price Street

A willow oak in front of the Oxford/Lafayette County Library

A river birch in the courtyard of the Veterans Home

A Russian birch at Pat Lamar Park

A willow oak at Della Davidson Elementary School

And several Yoshino cherry trees along South Lamar Avenue in front of the Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi, to name a few.

This Shumard oak, located on University Avenue in front of the old National guard Armory, although dormant at this time of year still stands majestic.
A Shumard oak that dominates the landscape at the edge of the old National Guard Armory on University Avenue is believed to be planted by Sergeant Buford Babb and other members in his unit around 1960 when they ventured into Lafayette County’s woods and dug up the sapling before transporting and planting it at the site. The majestic oak, which still stands today, was dedicated at Oxford’s 2004 Arbor Day celebration and serves as a vigilant symbol of Oxford’s passion for all things trees.

Today, trees are still being planted throughout the Lafayette-Oxford-University community through the continuing efforts of the Oxford Tree Board. Perhaps the most significant change is that many of our public parking lots have been re-designed to afford trees within.

Oxford officials and the city’s Building and Grounds Department are responsible for past and future tree plantings within our community; their efforts laudable and abundant.

Arrechea’s thoughts on the program are best expressed by two lines from one of his favorite poems, Trees by Joyce Kilmer: “Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.”

“If you have never attended an Arbor Day Celebration in our community, mark your calendar for the fourth Friday of April 2016. You’ll be glad you did,” Arrechea said.

This report was pieced together with the invaluable help of John Arrechea (quoted above). Jeff McVay is a staff writer and graphic designer for Hottytoddy.com. He can be reached at jeff.mcvay@hottytoddy.com.

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