Despite freezing temperatures and the sky spitting snow, Jamestown celebrated Arbor Day on Friday with a ceremonial tree planting.
Mayor Sam Teresi led the city of Jamestown's Arbor Day celebration in front of the newly constructed Roseland Park Playground.
"Today we join with citizens from across the nation in recognizing the importance of trees within our community in helping to cool and beautify the environment, conserve energy, clean the air and purify the water," said Teresi.
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During the ceremony, sixth-grade students from the Catholic Academy of the Holy Family planted two autumn flowering cherry trees at the entrance to the playground. Last year, younger students from the school helped plant daffodil bulbs in a planter at the park's entrance, which were blooming on Friday.
The National Arbor Day Foundation named Jamestown a Tree City U.S.A. location for the 31st consecutive year.
"One fact I take great pride in sharing with people is that the city of Jamestown is the second oldest Tree City U.S.A. in the entire state of New York," said Dan Stone, city arborist.
The city also received its third Tree City U.S.A. Growth Award for demonstrating progress in the municipality's forestry program.
Stone thanked the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation for its help over the last five years, as it allowed the Parks Department to plant over 320 new trees in the city of Jamestown.
Mayor Teresi noted and thanked the 15 regular and 15 summer employees in the Parks Department who take care of 550 acres of parks and the 13,000 street trees in Jamestown.
"It's a labor of love on their behalf, and it shows in this city," said Teresi.
Joyce Sechler, Jamestown Garden Club president, also presented the city with a $100 donation to go toward tree planting in Roseland Park.
Nation Arbor Day, celebrated on the last Friday in April every year, is a day to celebrate nature and to plan for an even greener future by planting and caring for trees.