BOZEMAN — In honor of Arbor Day, volunteers gathered at Oak Springs Park in Bozeman to help the City plant trees.

"I, Terry Cunningham, Mayor by the City of Bozeman, do hereby proclaim Friday April 25^th as Arbor Day in the City of Bozeman and encourage all citizens to celebrate Arbor Day and support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands," said Mayor Cunningham during the Arbor Day proclamation.

Alex Nordquist with the City of Bozeman’s Forestry Division says they selected Oak Springs Park this year for the amount of open, unshaded space it has.

"Really looking at this park, we have a lot of activity and use here—playground area, kids on swings, kids on the jungle gym. We have a natural green space here with Cattail and Redwing Black Birds chirping—with no shade, with very little shade," Nordquest says.

This event is in collaboration with the Gallatin Watershed Council for a joint effort known as Branch Out Bozeman.

Lily McClain with the council speaks to how important trees are in addressing things like water quality.

"They’re doing a really big service for us for water quality because they’re intercepting rain and helping manage our stormwater. Because that stormwater—if we can slow it down, capture it and treat it before it gets to our streams and we can cool it down, that’s super important," she says.

Recognizing both the environmental and social benefits of having more trees in Bozeman, officials thanked the more than 20 volunteers who showed up to help make it happen.

"I like to think of it as alchemy. We’re turning elbow grease into shade, into clean water, in wildlife habitat, and I think that stuff to me is more precious than gold. So I appreciate you guys being alongside us," McClain says.

This is the first of five volunteer events, where 300 trees will be planted over the next year.

Visit the Forestry Division's website for more information.