CANOPY BLOG

Teen Urban Foresters: Arbor Day Fun

By Canopy Team on March 21, 2017

This post was written by Canopy’s Teen Urban Foresters (TUF). Lean more about the TUF program here. 

On what felt like the first spring day, the Community Arbor Day Festival on March 11th attracted over 750 people to Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. Children were running with joy, carefree adults were able to enjoy multiple activities throughout the day, and the festival was buzzing with positive energy.

Activities and More

Throughout the day, the festival offered lots of fun activities fitting for both children and adults. Some of the activities included face painting, a station to explore seeds, pods, and cones, as well as tree climbing! Surprising everyone with their impressive tree climbing abilities, the children reached great heights into the canopy of Mitchell Park’s trees.

Meanwhile, local middle school children sold bird houses, and local high schoolers got to share their tree-inspired artwork. The festival also featured a workshop for adults, providing educational resources on fruit trees, tree risks for homeowners, and the future of Palo Alto’s trees. Based on the smiles on everyone’s faces, it seemed it was a great gathering for people to spend time with their friends and family.

Buzzing Atmosphere

Bamboo poles with streamers waving freely, tall green trees, and the delicious scents from the food trucks set the scene at the Community Arbor Day Festival.

Live music such as Andy Z, the Mountain View High School Jazz combo, and School of Rock appealed to children, teenagers, and adults. Many festival goers were allured by Canopy’s own snapchat filter and a travelling photo “booth”. 

Happy Memories from the TUFs

Teen Urban Forest, Eric Perez, who dressed up as Smokey Bear enthusiastically shared, “it was really fun to see not only the children but also the adult’s reactions to seeing Smokey’s appearance. Smokey truly transcends generations. He was genuinely a fan favorite”!

From her face painting station, Anamaria, had a great view of the tree climbing, “tree climbing was an amazing thing for many children. It was fun to watch how dedicated kids can be to get to the top”. 

At the face painting station many children crowded to get a leaf, acorn, or flower painted on their faces. Elsa expressed, “what made me feel very good and happy were the carefree parents that didn’t seem bothered by some of my very bad face painting skills. Their enjoyment made the station run smoother.”

Juan added, “the children showed love and affection towards my paintings even though they weren’t so good,” while Cynthia said “I had a great time face painting and being able to contribute to the festival’s awesome atmosphere”.  

Lizbeth exclaimed, “The face painting, the music, the babies, the vibes, it was perfect!”