On Monday, May 12th,
the City of Cambridge celebrated Arbor Day at the Haggerty School by planting a new tree with the help of our 5th graders. Mayor Denise Simmons and members of Cambridge’s Urban Forest staff, including City Arborist Dan Lefcourt,
were in attendance. The ceremony began on the front steps with the Haggerty chorus singing the song “Grow, Little Tree” by Andrea Ramsey. After the performance, the fifth graders joined the Arborist to learn more about
trees, the Serviceberry tree they were planting, and the urban forest initiative in the city - each year, Cambridge adds more than 1200 trees to its streets and public spaces! Serviceberries (Amelanchier, part of the rose
family) are native flowering trees that provide much-needed food for pollinators in the spring with their delicate white blooms, as well as a welcome treat for birds and wildlife when they produce their fruit in June. (Their pink-to-purple
berries are also edible for humans, and are said to taste like a cross between a blueberry and a blackberry.) Once the Arborist had the tree in position, the 5th graders, their teachers and other members of the staff helped to shovel
soil to cover the roots. The tree planting is the first step in a complete landscaping redesign of the entrance along Cushing Street, and will have at least 3 more new trees planted by the start of summer.