To celebrate the inaugural National Planting Day, Macon State College is partnering with the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission to sponsor the ceremonial planting of an oak tree native to the region. 

The local event – which is free and open to the public - begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 8, at the Charles H. Jones Building on the Macon Campus. Representatives of Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission and Macon State will plant an Overcup Oak near the lake adjacent to that building. A reception will follow.

Derrick Catlett, arborist for the college’s Plant Operations department, chose the tree to be planted. Catlett said the tree is native to the eastern U.S., grows rapidly and can live upwards of 350 years. The group will also plant oakleaf hydrangeas, native shrubs first found and described near Macon by explorer John Bartram in the late 1700s.
 
The Macon event is not only the inaugural National Planting Day event for the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission but also for the national Keep America Beautiful organization.

Guest speaker for the occasion will be Susan Burkhardt, senior director of Affiliate Marketing and Training for Keep America Beautiful. After the planting ceremony, visitors are welcome to join Catlett on a guided tour of the Waddell Barnes Botanical Gardens at Macon State.

Keep America Beautiful created National Planting Day to celebrate the value and power of native species in restoring ecological balance to the environment, while creating greener, more beautiful communities. With a national focus on September 8 and activities happening throughout the fall, the national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful, its affiliates and its partners are mobilizing Americans to plant native species of trees, flowers, and plants.

Pam Carswell, executive director of the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission, said Macon State was chosen for the tree planting because of the college’s commitment to environmental stewardship through the ongoing development of its campuswide Waddell Barnes Botanical Gardens. 

Among those expected to attend the local tree planting event are Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful commissioners, Keep Georgia Beautiful executive directors, members of the International Cherry Blossom Festival Board, city and county officials and guests of Macon State College.
 
The media is cordially invited to cover this event. The link leads to a map of and directions to the Macon Campus: www.maconstate.edu/maps/.
 
Additional Contacts:
Pam Carswell: pcarswell@kmbbc.org
Derrick Catlett: derrick.catlett@maconstate.edu

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