On Saturday, April 29, 2023, members of the Holliston Garden Club convened Blair Square to mark Arbor Day 2023. During the brief ceremony, a Proclamation was read, Arbor Day poems were read by 5th grade authors, and a memorial tree was dedicated to Carol Meritt, long-time Garden Club member.

Below, Holliston Select Board Clerk Tina Hein reads the official proclamation citing April 29, 2023, as Arbor Day in Holliston. Such a local proclamation is one of the criteria for being named as a Tree City USA. The Garden Club is working with the Town leaders to meet all the criteria (more below) for Holliston to be designated as a Tree City.

You may notice in the photo above some damp soil. Members of the Garden Club and Carol Meritt’s husband Roger gave a toast to the new tree and poured the remainder of their toast (water) on the roots to get the tree off to a healthy start. Roger Meritt is pictured below at the very left edge.

Below are images of the three winning poems that were read by the authors during the dedication ceremony.

As mentioned earlier, the Arbor Day Proclamation is one part of the application process. Another part is on the Warrant for the May Town Meeting. Members of the Garden Club and our Town leaders support the passage of a Tree Ordinance as a new General Bylaw. Town Meeting will be held, Monday, May 15, 2023, at the High School beginning at 7:00pm

Special thanks to Sharon Thornton who provided the poems and the correct spelling of the authors!