The City of Marion is celebrating its 33rd year as a Tree City USA. In 2024, the city removed 12 hazardous trees, pruned 25 trees, and planted 5 new trees. Arbor Day was celebrated at the corner of Bobby Gerald Parkway and Withlacoochee Avenue Dec. 6.
Tree Board Member Corey Craig, an arborist and forester, spoke at the event and the city of Marion and the Azalea Garden Club planted Muskogee crape myrtles in honor of Patricia Huff and Barbara Moore.
The City of Camden is recognized for its 37th year as a Tree City USA. Last year, the city planted 12 trees in public spaces, and volunteers provided 73 hours of tree care. The City shared its Arbor Day celebration Dec. 6 with a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Arts Center of Kershaw County. A spring-blooming fringe tree was planted at the Arts Center to honor its half-century of continued contributions to arts education, theatre, music and dance to residents and visitors to South Carolina.
The City of Myrtle Beach has achieved 29 years as a Tree City USA. Last year, Myrtle Beach removed 50 hazardous trees, pruned an astounding 28,800 trees and planted 100 new trees.
The city celebrated Arbor Day Dec. 6, 2024 at Valor Memorial Garden. At the celebration, Myrtle Beach honored 10 businesses with a 2024 Arbor Day Community Appearance Award. These businesses planted flowers, shrubs and trees to beautify Myrtle Beach and to improve city infrastructure functions, including storm water management. The businesses used living, green infrastructure for the betterment of the gray infrastructure and thus, to benefit Myrtle Beach.
The City of Darlington is recognized for achieving its 27th year as a Tree City USA and its 1st year obtaining the Tree Growth Award in 2024. The city of Darlington held its Arbor Day celebration Dec. 6 in the Public Square with a free tree giveaway and an announcement about the city’s new state champion Littleleaf Linden tree.
For the Tree Growth Award, the city earned all the required points with the city’s new Urban Tree Canopy Assessment. The non-profit agency, the Green Infrastructure Center, performed this assessment through the Trees4SC grant the city received from the Forestry Commission.
The Arbor Day Foundation recognized the City of Hartsville for earning its 39th year as a Tree City USA in 2024. Last year, the city pruned 348 trees, removed 36 hazardous trees and planted 44 new trees. Hartsville’s Streets and Grounds crew planted longleaf pines at Lawton Park in celebration of Arbor Day on Dec. 6, 2024.
The city of Hartsville is planting trees for the benefits they provide. These trees will offer welcome shade in the summer, filter pollution from the air, pull floodwater out of the ground, create habitat and food for wildlife and provide cool, green beauty for Hartsville’s citizens and visitors for many years.
The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized the Town of Cheraw for achieving its 45th year as a Tree City USA in 2024. Last year, Cheraw removed 12 hazardous trees, pruned 165 trees, and planted 6 new trees.
The town celebrated Arbor Day December 6 by planting a new tree near the playground at Jacqueline Ellerbe Shannon Park. Ann Huyler presented the Tree City USA awards to Town Manager Robert Wolfe, Mayor Byrd and city council Aug. 12.
The Arbor Day Foundation recognized the Town of Nichols for achieving its 2nd year as a Tree City USA in 2024. Last year, the town removed 2 hazardous trees, pruned 6 trees and planted 1 new tree.
Huyler presented the awards to Town Administrator Sandee Rogers, Administrative Assistant/Grant Writer Nicole McDowell, Mayor Battle and city council members Aug. 18.
Sandee Rogers and Nicole McDowell successfully obtained Tree City USA status for Nichols in both 2023 and 2024. In doing so, the town of Nichols officially became the smallest city in South Carolina to become a Tree City USA for those two years.