ARBOR DAY EVENTS

The Houston Arboretum is celebrating Arbor Day on Saturday, January 17 with free events from 10 am to 4 pm. The whole family can enjoy papermaking, a puzzle hike, kid’s zip line and rope bridge, paper hat making, planting a pine seed and more. Wood turners and wood workers will demonstrate their skills and Johnny Appleseed and HANC the Owl will pose for pictures with children. Clutch, the Houston Rockets Bear, will drop by from 11 am to noon. Native trees will be available for sale and pine seedlings will be given away as supplies last. The Houston Arboretum is at 4501 Woodway Drive.The City of Friendswood Community Appearance Board will be assisting Friendswood residents in the reforestation of the city’s Ike-ravaged greenery by giving away more than 1, 000 seedlings for planting on their property. The tree give- away will be at Friendswood City Hall, 910 S. Friendswood Dr. (FM 518), on January 17 from 8 to 11 am.

Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center is celebrating Arbor Day with a variety of free events. On Saturday and Sunday, January 17 and 18, 10 am to 4 pm, visitors will be given a free sapling and information on tree selection, planting, and more. On Saturday, at 10 am there will be a class about how paper is made from trees with an opportunity to make your own paper creation. At 2 pm, there will be a class about the best native trees for our area, and how good tree selection can help attract wildlife to your yard. At 6 pm there will be an evening walk in the woods with a naturalist. Events are free, but reservations for the classes are needed. Call (281) 446-8588. The park is located at 20634 Kenswick Drive in Humble.

If you are from someplace where it is now snowing, you may be used to Arbor Day being in April. Not here. January is one of our best times to plant trees.