Wright-Patt celebrates wonder of trees for Arbor Day Published May 5, 2017 By Amy Rollins Skywrighter Staff WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- A champion of trees celebrating its 20-year status as a Tree City USA, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base did something natural in observance of Arbor Day 2017 – base personnel had a hand in planting a half dozen of them. Staff from the 88th Civil Engineer Group, Installation Management, Environmental Branch, Assets Section coordinated the planting of a variety of American beech, blue spruce, scarlet oak and sugar maple trees April 26 at the Wright Memorial, Area B, and Fire Station Number 1, Area A, in honor of Arbor Day. The observance began at the memorial, where 50 Honor Society students from Baker Middle School in Fairborn helped plant four trees. Col. Bradley McDonald, 88th Air Base Wing commander, opened the ceremonies by reading a proclamation in honor of Arbor Day. McDonald then commended the CEG for being recognized as a Tree City USA for 20 years. The students were treated to presentations from Wendi Van Buren, an Ohio Department of Natural Resources urban forester, and Ranger Ryan Qualls from the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park and the site manager for the Wright Memorial. “The National Park Service in Dayton wouldn’t be what we are without the United States Air Force and the cultural resource mission here,” Qualls said. “They maintain and preserve both the Wright Memorial, which is a National Historic Landmark, and the Huffman Prairie Flying Field, which is the place where the Wright brothers perfected their experimental flyers, developed their flight school and trained 119 of the world’s first pilots.” Qualls said he was grateful the base chose to add to the memorial’s number of trees indigenous to Ohio. Most of the trees planted there originally were selected for their buds, leaves or seed-bearing qualities but not where they were native. Most are European species. “One thing that is really important about the work that is going on today is this annual event allows for that process to be recreated – as the trees die, they choose similar locations and plant a new tree,” he said. “The Air Force does a fantastic job of keeping the memorial looking the way it does.” Planting trees is particularly important considering the number of ash trees decimated on base by the emerald ash borer, said Danielle Trevino, natural resources technician. “We want everyone to know about trees, why they are important and what they do for our environment,” she said. “They even save us money by providing shade and erosion control, and they make us happy.” “Our communities are better when we have trees around us,” Van Buren said. “Hopefully the students will see trees in a new way and get excited about them.” Each student was given information from the base’s Environmental Section and a seedling to take home to plant. Base personnel could also stop by to pick up a seedling “so they can plant a tree at home and teach their family about the importance of trees,” Trevino said.