Urban foresters from five departments of the City of Seattle will celebrate Arbor Day with local residents in Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighborhood on Saturday, Oct. 18th. Everyone is invited to participate.

What: Arbor Day celebration and tree planting

Date: Saturday, Oct. 18

Time: 9 a.m. to noon

Where: Meet at the corner of South Fletcher Street and 57th Avenue South.

Who: Residents and City of Seattle urban foresters

Volunteers will help plant 13 street trees in selected planting strips. The tree species will be Espresso Kentucky Coffee Tree and American Dream Swamp White Oak. Gloves and tools will be provided, along with coffee and refreshments.

The entire family can participate and meet the urban foresters from Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle City Light, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Public Utilities, and the Office of Sustainability and Environment.

October is the best time for planting trees in Seattle. Trees planted in the fall will get plenty of moisture during the rainy months ahead to help them grow and thrive. Urban trees are critical to Seattle, contributing to our health and well-being, to our quality of life, and to the health of our environment. The city’s goal is to cover 30 percent of Seattle with tree canopy by 2037.

For the past 28 years, Seattle has been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a “Tree City USA.” For more information about Seattle city trees, visit http://www.seattle.gov/trees/.