Last modified Wed., February 20, 2008 - 03:54 PM
Originally created Thursday, February 21, 2008

Woodbine honors Chief Petty Officers City's mayor presents chiefs with award for the planting of more than 100 trees

By MCSN Dmitry Chepusov, Periscope staff

Kings Bay Chiefs, City of Woodbine City Workers and Woodbine Mayor Buford Clark cerremoniously plant the tree dedicated to the Kings Bay Chief Volunteers, without whom the River Walk would not be what it is today, according to Clark.
MCSN Dmitry Chepusov

The City of Woodbine held its annual Arbor Day Celebration at the River Walk Feb. 15. That morning, residents and project leaders gathered to recognize the hard work of all the volunteers, and the mayor of Woodbine dedicated a Trident Maple to the NSB Kings Bay Chief Petty Officers for volunteering to plant 141 trees along the River Walk several weeks ago.

The River Walk is a trail through Woodbine that is part of the East Coast Greenway (ECG), a trail being built to connect cities and towns of the East Coast with a continuous, traffic-free path spanning 3,000 miles from Calais, Maine to Key West, Fla. The chiefs participated in the planting of their dedicated tree, and were also given a tree to plant in front of the Goat Locker.

"We are thankful that this tree planting holiday turned out on so beautiful a day," said Woodbine Mayor Buford Clark. "Last year the Kings Bay Chiefs came out into the frost of winter to offer a helping hand. We see more growth here every year, but none of this would be possible without the efforts of the chiefs and other volunteers. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

"The chiefs helped plant trees here last year as well," said STSC(SS) Mark Rector. "It felt good because we were supporting the community and doing something great for the environment. Woodbine is a small city and I think they are very proud of this section of the trail. They needed our help with planting these trees and we were glad to come out here and give them a hand."

Since the beginning of planting trees in Woodbine, the trail has grown into an attractive alternative to the city's roadways. According to Better Hometown Manager Beth Gowen, the trail will bring in tourists and bikers traveling the ECG. This should stimulate interest in Woodbine's history and local businesses.

Julius Morton of Nebraska first observed Arbor Day in 1872. A lover of nature, Morton moved from Detroit to the treeless plains of Nebraska City to work as a journalist. Using his love for tree planting and his forum of expression, Morton encouraged everyone to set aside a specific day to plant trees. Today, National Arbor Day is celebrated throughout the United States and many other countries including Israel, Iceland, Yugoslavia, and India.

For more information on the project, call Woodbine City Hall at 576-3211. For questions or suggestions on planting trees, call the Georgia Forestry Commission at 1-800-GA-TREES.