- March 13, 2025
Arianna Johnsen looks at the result at Doreen's Face Painting tent at Palm Coast's 19th annual Arbor Day event. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Noah and Cynthia Schweers with English bulldog Toby. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Ruth and Tom Plapis and daughter Cathy Fierley with dog Jake. They picked up four trees for themselves, another daughter and a niece. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jodi Coia, education coordinator at Marineland, displays a dolphin skull. “This is what dolphins look like under all that cuteness,” she said. Photo by Brent Woronoff
People take turns inside the butterfly tent. Photo by Brent Woronoff
People watch the butterflies flitter away at the butterfly release. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Della Robertson, 22 months old, frolics among the flower wind spinners outside the butterfly tent. Photo by Brent Woronoff
African American Cultural Society membership committee members Joyce Welsh-Shirley, Donna Easterling and Mamie Godfrey (committee chair). Photo by Brent Woronoff
Bill Markert with his “All Washed Up” art. He transforms red cedar driftwood into sea life sculpture. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Julian Joya (left) and Avery Boatman compete in the hula hoop contest. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Julian Joya (foreground) and Avery Boatman compete in the hula hoop contest. Photo by Brent Woronoff
DJ Dave of Pyramid Disc Jockeys was the master of ceremonies. Photo by Brent Woronoff
At the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation tent, a timber rattlesnake is taken out of a box where it was placed temporarily while an icepack was added to its cage. Photo by Brent Woronoff
At the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation tent, Nick Clark puts a timber rattlesnake back in its cage after putting in an icepack to prevent the snake from overheating. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Sign at the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation tent. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jeffery Seib, Michelle Watson and Kathleen Seib. They picked up a pignut hickory tree and a redbud tree. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Arianna Johnsen and Lily Digmer show off their face painting designs. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Lee Keller (right) helps hands out goodie bags at the Palm Coast Fire Department's Public Safety Simulator. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The butterfly tent opens for a new group of people to enter. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Donna Razumousky competes in the hula hoop contest. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jovahni, Jariel, Julian and Justin Joya with mom Jenny Flores. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Kaitlin Gerdau and children Toby and Amelia picked up a buttonbush tree. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Children look for butterflies after the release. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Sharon Smith and Kris Daniels, master gardeners with the UF/IFAS Flagler County Extension, answer questions in the tree tent. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jim Lee of the Palm Coast Fire Department rests on a bench at the Palm Coast Arbor Day celebration on May 4 at Central Park at Town Center. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast has received a Tree City USA designation for the 19th consecutive year. It is also designated a Monarch City USA. On Saturday, May 4, the city celebrated both designations with tree giveaways and a monarch butterfly release at Palm Coast’s 19th annual Arbor Day celebration at Central Park in Town Center.
People who brought non-perishable human or pet food received a ticket for a free tree. Four varieties of trees and shrubs — redbuds, red maples, pignut hickories and buttonbush — were available. Master certified arborists and master gardeners with the UF/IFAS Flagler County Extension offered guidance on proper pruning, placement, planting and root-shaving techniques at the tree tent.
Kids and adults opened their envelopes at 11 a.m. in front of City Hall to release live monarch butterflies. The butterfly tent filled with fluttering monarchs was the most popular exhibit of the day.
DJ Dave of Pyramid Disc Jockeys ran contests for the kids. There was also a face painting tent. The Palm Coast Fire Department brought its two-story, three-room Public Safety Simulator that shows children and adults fire hazards to watch out for in the home. The Florida Forestry Service focused on wildfire awareness.
At the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation tent, Curator Nick Clark removed a timber rattlesnake from its cage to a plastic box and back again after he added an icepack to regulate the snake’s temperature.
The Arbor Day event also included a photo contest. Residents could submit up to three photos from the event no later than midnight May 8. Prizes will be given to the top three photos selected.
“This event is about so much more than trees,” City of Palm Coast Urban Forester Carol Mini said in a press release. “It’s about bringing together Palm Coast families and friends to share in our passion for trees and keeping Palm Coast green.”
