Orrville celebrated Arbor Day this week by planting a white flowering crabapple and giving out seeds to those who came out.

The Dallas County office of the Alabama Forestry Commission made their way out to the event to hand out seeds for crape myrtles, cypress and oaks red buds as well as actual trees.

Orrville has been declared a tree city, and councilwoman Jewell Williamson said it all started because of devastation many years ago.

Williamson said tornadoes in the 90s destroyed many of the trees in Orrville, which is what inspired them to become a tree city.

“I can remember how devastating it was to go outside and see all the trees and most of the trees in town … that had just went down,” Williamson said. “We wanted our town to look like it had in the past.”

Williamson said around 35 people came out to the 13th annual tree city and Arbor Day event, including a couple of councilmen and Orrville Mayor Louvenia Lumpkin.

“You let people know the importance of having trees, not just for aesthetics, but for the environment and for wildlife,” Williamson said. “I do it because I love the trees and I love to know that the acorns are falling for the squirrels and I love seeing the leaves change colors and in the spring that new growth.”

Williamson said she even had a yard full of trees that were because of Arbor Day.

“The trees in my yard all came from getting the seeds from the Arbor Day seedlings and planting them in my yard,” Williamson said. “We just enjoy them, we love them.”