Program Objectives:
• To raise funds to plant additional needed trees in Ferguson Parks, replacing trees lost due to damage, disease or age.
• To give residents an opportunity to honor a person, or a special event by way of a living tree memorial.
• To generate community awareness of the need to replace trees, an objective of the National Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program, which the City has been named each year since 1989.
• To develop greater concern for the general well being of the parks.

Background:
• In 1988, the Missouri Dept. of Conservation completed a Community Forestry plan for all of the Ferguson Parks. The plan identified the location and condition of existing trees and made recommendations as to future locations for trees.
• The Tree Dedication Program began in 1991 and has provided over 200 trees to Ferguson Parks to help meet the recommendations of the Conservation Dept. plan.
• Persons requesting a tree dedication may select a park and tree species from the preferred tree list on the other side.

Registration:
• A $125 tax deductible contribution to the program entitles the donor a planted tree with a plaque at the base and a framed certificate.
• The contribution and registration for the program are accepted at the Recreation Office, 501 N. Florissant Road.
• At the time of the registration the donor requests the preferred tree species and location, along with the honoree’s name for the tree plaque certificate.
• The City will work with the donor to meet the requested species and location.
• Program donations are deposited in a separate enterprise account used only to purchase the trees and program supplies.

Dedication:
• A Spring and Fall dedication ceremony are held to dedicate the trees. The Spring ceremony is on Arbor Day (first Saturday in April) and the Fall date is the fourth Saturday in October.
• Dedications will be accepted up to six weeks prior to the ceremony date. The appropriate number of trees will be purchased and planted, and the tree plaque will be installed prior to each dedication ceremony.
• At the dedication ceremony the donor will receive a framed certificate acknowledging the donation and naming the person or event for which the tree is dedicated.
• The City will guarantee the tree and plaque for two years.

To Dedicate a tree download the Tree Dedication Form and return to the Ferguson Parks and Recreation Department.

Probe Students from Ferguson Middle School embarked on a project in August of 2009, over the next couple of months the students covered the entirety of January Wabash Memorial Park cataloging and mapping out Dedicated Trees.  The Dedicated tree program which has been in Ferguson for over 20 years now has dedicated over 250 trees, roughly 175 of those located in January Wabash Park.  The students under the guidance of their Probe teacher Hilary Hawkins created a detailed map of the entire park with color and number coordinated tree locations throughout the park.  The map has created a guide for the loved ones that have dedicated the trees in January Wabash Park to easily locate and visit the trees.  The City of Ferguson honored the Probe Students and Teacher at the October City Council Meeting by having them present the tree dedication map to the City Council. 

The picture above and to the right features the following Probe Members from left: Christina Merritt, Micheala Intveld-Sutherlin, Lexus Barnes, Kolby Owens, Victorian Ingram, and teacher Hilary Hawkins (far right behind Cathy Wallace at Podium).  Also Pictured Stan Kreitler Ferguson Parks and Recreation Superintendent (located behind students), and Cathy Wallace Ferguson Parks and Recreation Office Manager (speaker at podium).

 The City of Ferguson is greatly appreciative to the students and teacher for their efforts in this project which has created a great resource for the Parks and Recreation Department and the citizens of Ferguson.









Here is the names of the students that participated in this project, including those not present at the council meeting:
Teacher: Hilary Hawkins
Students: Micheala Intveld-Sutherlin, Lexus Barnes, Kolby Owens, Christina Merritt, Victoria Ingram, Tashan Reed, Patrick Davis, Rafael Tinajero, Olivia Rivers, and Patricia Johnson

View the completed Tree Locator Project click here