HLGU’s Arbor Day celebration April 19 to honor two female alums by planting river birch trees

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Hannibal-LaGrange University will hold an Arbor Day celebration at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 19, near the Roland Library.

Alums Ruth Ihrig Foreman and Dorothy Sisson will be honored by the planting of two river birch trees on campus. These women supported Hannibal-LaGrange during their lifetime through financial gifts, by referring students to campus and through prayer.

The river birch naturally grows along riverbanks, but as a landscape tree, it can be planted almost anywhere in the U.S. The species is valued for its relatively rapid growth, tolerance of wetness and some drought, unique curling bark, spreading limbs, brilliant yellow fall color and relative resistance to birch borer.

Planting trees on HLGU’s campus has been a longtime tradition as a Tree Campus Higher Education institution. Tree Campus Higher Education is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and to engage staff and students in conservation goals. HLGU achieved this title by meeting recognition standards including student service-learning projects.