The City of Valdosta was honored on Feb. 17 by the Georgia Forestry Commission as a Tree City USA for its 31st consecutive year at the annual Arbor Day event, sponsored by the Valdosta Tree Commission. The event was held at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts, following a weeklong celebration of trees and their benefits to the community.
 
“I’m proud of our community’s long-standing commitment to the planting and maintenance of our urban forest and to the overall commitment to environmental stewardship, so that our city will be green and sustainable and attractive for generations to come,” said Mayor Gayle, who accepted the Tree City USA designation. “Of the 536 cities in Georgia, only 135 cities are Tree City USA communities—and only nine of the 135 cities have held the honor for 31 consecutive years or more. This designation shows the long-term commitment that Valdosta has made to the investment of its trees and natural resources.”
 
At the event, the Valdosta Tree Commission presented the Legacy Award to the Rotary Club of Valdosta for the organization’s shared investment of the community tree canopy through the Memorial Tree Program. Rotary Club of Valdosta President Molly Deese accepted the award, accompanied by District Governor Pam Lightsey and Area Governor Steve Barnes.
 
Certified Arborist Charlie Marcus of Legacy Arborist Services was the guest speaker at the event and also led an educational class on trees and infrastructure in the afternoon.
 
Following the ceremony a Drake Elm was planted in front of the Turner Center for the Arts to honor Molly Huckaby Hardy, a Valdosta native who served the State Department for more than 25 years at Foreign Service posts around the world. On August 7, 1998, Hardy and more than 200 others were killed when truck bombs exploded outside the US Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya (where Hardy was stationed) and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Her ex-husband and friend William Hardy and daughter Brandi Plants were also in attendance at the event.