Westborough DPW plants tree for Arbor Day

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Westborough DPW plants tree for Arbor Day
Kyle Grendell and Joe Lobas plant a red maple tree at Greg’s Field in Westborough on Arbor Day on Friday. (Photo/Laura Hayes)

WESTBOROUGH – There is a new tree at Greg’s Field in Westborough.

Department of Public Works (DPW) personnel gathered at the field on Friday to celebrate Arbor Day by planting a red maple tree. 

“Today we’re celebrating Arbor Day, which is really about emphasizing the importance of planting trees,” said DPW Director Chris Payant during the event.

Westborough is designated as a Tree City USA and has signs announcing this designation on roads leading into town. 

Every year, the DPW department celebrates Arbor Day in various ways. Some years, like this year, staff plant a tree. In other years, they hand out saplings.  

The department has planted trees at local schools in each of the last several years.

This spring, Payant said the DPW picked the Greg’s Field site, which is located on Upton Road, to specifically highlight the work of the department.

There’s ongoing pruning work on trees at Greg’s Field, Payant said. There’s also a tree that was damaged in a storm last year that needs to be removed, he added. 

“So, there’s a whole life cycle to that tree system,” he continued. 

Beyond celebrating Arbor Day, this work falls under the various recommendations of Westborough’s Climate Action Plan, which was approved by the Select Board last year. 

One of the plan’s goals was to protect and expand the natural environment. One of the strategies to accomplish this goal, in turn, was to educate and promote sustainable landscaping and tree canopy coverage. 

The plan encouraged a town wide goal to plant at least 250 trees every year. 

Payant was joined by Tree Warden Kyle Grendell and Joe Lobas at Friday’s event as their department took a step toward that goal.

He praised the work of DPW staff, specifically noting that Grendell and Lobas, who are new to the department, have had a “huge” impact on Westborough.

“We’re lucky to have a great staff here,” Payant said.

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