An estimated 1,000 people attended the inaugural Arbor Day Celebration on April 28 at Jens Jensen Park in Highland Park, 486 Roger Williams Ave.

Now considered an annual event in the Ravinia District, the launch festivities were sponsored by the City of Highland Park and Ravinia District.

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering welcomes the audience at the Arbor Day Celebration at Jens Jensen Park on April 28 in the Ravinia District of Highland Park. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc / for Chronicle Media)

“We’ve been celebrating Earth Day for decades,” said Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering.

“It’s a great opportunity for people to come out, see each other and start off the spring celebration.”

Rotering added that “Highland Park is proud” to be designated as a Tree City USA community. She was among officials on stage who welcomed attendees and volunteers.

City and Park District of Highland Park staff helped to distribute 500 free oak seedlings, with varieties offered for those preferring to plant trees in full sun or shade.

“Trees have excellent return on investment,” said Highland Park City Forester Keith O’Herrin, whose idea it was to launch Saturday’s Arbor Day Celebration.

“They (trees) clean our air and shade our homes and all of these things add up over their lifetime, especially these oaks which can live 100 years or longer,” O’Herrin added.

Five-year-old Caleb Adams of Highland Park (left) is at a sponsor table. Among the sponsors is Meg Kleeman (right) partaking in the Arbor Day Celebration at Jens Jensen Park April 28. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc / for Chronicle Media)

The four-hour event was free and featured sponsor tables plus other amenities.

“The message today is how important trees are to the diversity of our environment,” said Rebecca Grill of the Park District of Highland Park.

Grill, natural areas manager at the park district, was festively dressed as a tree. She had no particular tree species in mind for her costume, Grill said, with a laugh.

“It’s really important for people to keep planting, particularly our native trees such as the oaks which is what we are highlighting today,” she said.

The Art Center (TAC) of Highland Park produced a public art project commemorating the event. People could put their thumbprints on a painting of a tree. Via more paint, their green thumbs became arbor leaves.

“It’s a collaborative piece, it’s the way art works,” said James Lynch, TAC executive director.

Green thumb? Ready to put their green thumbprint as a leaf on the community art project of a tree, are, from left, Highland Park City Manager Ghida Neukirch, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, Kim Stone, a Highland Park City Council member and Dan Kaufman, also a City Council member at Jens Jensen Park on April 28. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc / for Chronicle

“It’s also the art of bringing people together.

“It’s that art of communication, sharing our values and expressing our culture,” Lynch said.

The paintings will be on display through May at City Hall, 1707 St. Johns Ave.

Green-friendly organizations and local businesses offered activities and projects focused on planting and caring for trees.

Talking to patrons under blue skies with morning temperatures about 40 degrees was Jeannette Samson of Deerfield and also with Antons Fruit Ranch of Highland Park.

“Oh my gosh, it’s beautiful,” Samson said, of the sunny weather.

“It couldn’t be better.”

Audrey Adams, 6, a first-grader from Highland Park, examines things up close at the Arbor Day Celebration at Jens Jensen Park in the Ravinia District of Highland Park on April 28. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc / for Chronicle Media)

Get your free subscription of the Cook County e-edition

—- Keep planting was the message at Highland Park Arbor Day . —-