Arbor Day 2026

Volunteers with the Betton Hills Neighborhood Association celebrated Arbor Day this year on Saturday, January 10. We had an excellent turnout of forty-one enthusiastic volunteers.

We gathered at the welcome table with hot chocolate and coffee brought by Lynn and Michael Bannister and donuts generously provided by the nearby Freedom Church. Pastor Perry Dissmore and quite a few from their congregation worked with us throughout the morning.

Our focus this year was on removing invasive species from the McCord Woods that are along the paved trail not far from the Komodo Dragon sculpture. Our park manager had created a few paths to make it easier for our volunteers to work. Jody Walthall and Richard Crisler worked on removing large camphor, ligustrum, privet and Taiwan cherry from the perimeter while also teaching the new volunteers about skunk vine that was weaving among the trees. Todd Sperry removed huge patches of privets within the interior, freeing the native Virginia sweetspire that was struggling beneath the thicket. Randy and Karen Murrell did a great job teaching the newer volunteers how to identify the invasive plants and making sure to cut and bag the red berries from nandina and ardisia before digging the plants. Ross Ellington, Sandy Warren, and Michael Dugger concentrated their efforts on thoroughly removing ardisia in the areas in which they worked. There is still much more work to be done, but we have made a big difference!

We always add to the biodiversity of the park each Arbor Day. This year Scott Ellington planted three mapleleaf viburnums at the entrance to the woodland. This is a small native shrub with bright fall foliage.

Vanessa Crisler led a crew to clean the five bluebird nest boxes; all had been used by bluebirds the previous season. They also cleaned the wood duck box on the south side of McCord Pond.

Mike Brezin and Jim Ward led a group to tend the plantings along Trescott. We did our original Arbor Day in this area, and the trees are now quite mature. They removed weeds from the bases of trees and pulled vines away from the blueberry bushes. They spread pine straw around the base of each planting; it helps keep down the growth of weeds and creates a visual barrier for the mowers to work around.

Mary Kay Falconer, MJ Lewis-Wilkinson, Bill Behenna, Amber Ward led a team in the Armistead Woodland closest to the parking area. They pulled vines and seedlings from the bases of the needle palms and trees and spread pine straw around all the plants that we have planted there over the years.

It is amazing to see all that was accomplished in a little more than two hours.

The City of Tallahassee provided twenty-five bales of pine straw that we spread around previous plantings throughout the park. In addition, the park staff graciously picks up our piles of vegetative debris and bags of ardisia berries and trash each year. We are working closely with our park manager Michael Davidson and fellow employee Wiley Clifford.

If you contributed to the Carol Bellamy Fund when you paid your dues, you helped fund these activities. Thank you.

I would also like to thank Michael Bannister and Barb Shoplock for putting up the Arbor Day signs around the neighborhood. Casey McLaughlin posted Arbor Day information to the website, Bill Behenna sent out email blasts and made Facebook announcements.

Thank you to the following participants (forgive any spelling errors or omissions):

• Donna Legare and Jody Walthall
• Mike Brezin
• Kimberly and Perry Dissmore
• Lynn and Michael Bannister
• Eliza Hawkins
• Mike Riley
• Brenda Choppin
• Bill Munsey
• Jim and Amber Ward
• Mary Kay Falconer
• MJ Lewis-Wilkinson and Ken Wilkinson
• Bill Behenna
• Michael Dugger
• Vanessa and Richard Crisler
• Randy and Karen Murrell
• Ross Ellington
• Scott Ellington
• Elece Harrison
• Sandy Warren
• Todd Sperry
• Nathan Phillips
• L Jean Francois
• Rommel and Nena Ampagney
• Frank and Myrianne Cruz
• Raul Vera
• Tracy Wells
• Aneliese Ivany
• Dilan Rice
• Carol Davis
• Alexandria and David Lekberg
• David, Joseph, and Lizzy Lekberg

Images from the event

Original announcement:

Join us to enjoy fresh air, good exercise, and good company while helping to make our park a better place for both wildlife and people. Our focus this year will be to continue with the removal of invasive plants – cat’s claw and skunk vine, coral ardisia, privet, ligustrum and camphor. The park is large but our efforts over the years have made a significant difference. If not for our work, the park would be overrun by these plants. Bring your shovels, pruners, loppers, and work gloves. We will also have extra tools and gloves available.

Other work includes litter cleanup around the pond edges, spreading pine straw at the bases of trees planted during previous Arbor Days, and cleaning out the bluebird nest boxes and wood duck houses. We will also plant a tree or two, adding to the biodiversity of the park.

Meet at the welcome table near the Armistead side of the park. There will be donuts, hot coffee and hot chocolate

Please spread the word and invite your friends and family to volunteer. All ages are welcome! Dress for the weather; we will cancel if it rains.