BUCHANAN — On Friday, St. Joseph County Naturalist Jill McDonald stood in front of a crowd of students at Buchanan Middle School and asked them to imagine a world without trees. Besides losing a shady place for refuge, McDonald said there would be no chocolate, less clean air and far less beauty on planet earth.

The lesson was part of a special presentation for a National Arbor Day Celebration, which was put on by the Buchanan Garden Club. Students learned about the origin and history of the annual event and talked about why trees are important to the ecosystem. They ended the event by planting two Canada Red Chokecherry trees near the southern entrance of the Buchanan Middle School parking lot.

McDonald began her presentation by teaching students the root of Arbor Day. Founded by journalist Julius Sterling Morton, National Arbor Day was created to remind people of the many ways that trees provide and contribute to the quality of life for all living things. It became a national holiday in 1882.

Morton, a Detroit, Michigan native, moved to Nebraska with his wife, Caroline. The couple began beautifying the flat landscape around their home with trees. Morton, who would become the U.S. Secretary for Agriculture in 1893, began penning columns about the importance of trees and how they could provide wind break to protect a person’s home, fuel and supplies, to name only a few.

McDonald also encouraged students to get outside and observe the nature in their Michigan backyards. She touted McCoy’s Creek Trail as a natural gem, where wildflowers and other plant species could be observed.

Speakers also touched on how trees are important to Buchanan. The city’s namesake as the Redbud City comes from the proliferation of Redbud trees that line the city streets. But McDonald reminded students that Buchanan also earned the title of Tree City USA, as recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Buchanan has held the title for a quarter of a century, she said.

“That is a really distinguished title,” McDonald said. “Not all cities [have this title]. There are a handful of them. That shows that your town cares about the trees, about inspiring people to plant trees, providing oxygen and so many wonderful things.”

Mayor Brenda Hess also addressed the crowd of students Friday. She started by sharing how she and her children purchased some Redbud trees to plant in the yard. While the trees did not grow much at first, Hess said they have since flourished and become a staple to her backyard landscape.

“I would highly recommend planting a Redbud tree, not because you just live in the Redbud City, but also because they grow fast and by the time you graduate from high school, you will have a really nice tree in your yard to enjoy and for your children to enjoy,” Hess said.

To further the growth of trees for the future, the Buchanan Scarecrow Charity presented Hess with $500 to support the Buchanan Tree Club. Finally, Hess read a proclamation declaring April 27 as Arbor Day in Buchanan.

When the presentation came to an end, students went outside to backfill the space for the two planted Canada Chokecherry trees. Miss Buchanan Cora Schau helped to lead students in the planting.

McDonald’s words reminded students about the importance of their efforts to plant a tree Friday.

“It’s about inspiring people to come together and take care of our earth and to lead that, not only for yourself but for people in the future,” McDonald said. “By planting trees today, we can let people enjoy that.”