Mayor Emily Larson joined Hartley Nature Center staff and students, community volunteers, and others to plant trees in Hartley Park in celebration of Arbor Day 2016.

Hartley Park took a huge toll in damage with the July 21st storm this past year. The park has remained closed since the storm, but hopes to open within the next few weeks.

During a press conference Mayor Larson said:

I’m excited to celebrate Arbor Day 2016 with the community. It’s a special occasion marked with mixed emotions this year as we saw devastating damage inside Hartley Park from the windstorm. Yet, it provides us an opportunity to support regrowth in numbers, 3500 to be exact, in the heart of Duluth. I am grateful to CN, America in Bloom and the Duluth Stream Corps for their partnership as we work to revitalize Hartley Park and make it a regionally significant park that promotes recreation but also environmental education

The Duluth Stream Corps team will be planting 3500 tree varietals (Cedar, Black Spruce, Tamarack, and Balsam Fir) in Hartley Park along Tischer Creek and Old Hartley Road over the next couple of weeks.

Nature in Duluth is so beautiful and it's great to see a community come together. I can't wait to see what the Nature Center will look like when it opens back up. Let me know in the comments below what you think of the new trees being planted.

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