News from BG: April 27, 2022
Virtual Arbor Day Celebration
April 29th is Arbor Day!
National Arbor Day is April 29th and we're celebrating virtually with an informational video from our Tree Commission! Did you know that this is the 150th Anniversary of Arbor Day? Join us in celebrating with Tom Striggow of the City of Bowling Green Tree Commission as he talks a little about our City's tree history and the history of Arbor Day! Next year, we hope to return to our in person celebration.
Bowling Green Achieves Tree City Recognition for 42nd Year

The Arbor Day Foundation has named the City of Bowling Green a 2021 Tree City USA in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management. The City also received a Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating environmental improvement and higher level of tree care. This is the 42nd year Bowling Green has been recognized as a Tree City and the 28th time the City has received the Growth Award.

A Growth Award is bestowed to a community alongside their Tree City USA recognition for demonstrating environmental improvement and a higher level of tree care. The Growth Award recognizes major milestones and annual activities in five categories on a point-based system to build sustainable community forestry programs over the long term such as: building a team, measuring trees and forests, planning the work, performing the work, and building the community framework.

 “Tree City USA communities can experience the positive effects that an urban tree canopy has year after year,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “The trees being planted and cared for by Bowling Green are ensuring that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life. Additionally, participation in this program helps cultivate a sense of stewardship and pride for the trees the community plants and cares for.”

With the additional recognition of a Growth Award, Bowling Green has demonstrated their expediency towards building framework for sustainable urban forest management. Urban tree plantings help reduce energy consumption by up to 25%, which will reduce general energy costs and help with the overall cooling of the city as well. In addition, members of the community benefit from properly placed trees as they increase property values from 7-20%. Trees positively affect the local ecosystem by helping to clean water and create animal habitats to encourage biodiversity.

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.
May Brush Collection
Register: May 2nd-9th
The window to schedule a May Brush Collection will be open from May 2 to May 9. Beginning May 2nd, residents may go online to register their address for the collection! Residents may also call 419-354-6227 to be added to the list of locations where crews will stop.

Collection is scheduled to begin on May 16. Those who do not call in or go online to register by May 9 will NOT be included on the collection route! This will be the second brush collection for the year. The next collection will be in September 2022.
2022 Summer Guide Available Now

We are all looking forward to a more “normal” summer this year and we are excited to announce that all of your favorite programs have returned for summer 2022, along with some new options. We are happy to release the 2022 Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Summer Guide, which contains information on camps, sports, safety town, swim lessons and much more.

Resident registration began on April 25 and non-resident registration begins on May 9.

For questions or more information contact the Parks and Recreation Office at 419-354-6223, or visit www.bgohio.org.
Citizen Outreach Program (COP) Returns

The Bowling Green Police Division is excited to host their second Citizen Outreach Program (COP) on May 12th and 19th, 2022, from 6:00 PM- 9:30 PM, to give community members a direct experience of what they do for the City. “The Citizen Outreach Program was developed as an effort to engage community members on a more personal level, create an opportunity for dialogue and build trust. It is part of a greater effort that began with the July 2020 racial equity resolution passed by City Council. This program, coupled with the Police Liaison to Communities of Color and engagement with citizen groups, is designed to build positive relationships and transparency,” said Chief Hetrick.

2022 Tree Commission
Photo Contest

The City of Bowling Green Tree Commission has announced its 5th annual photo contest. The Commissioners want to raise awareness of Bowling Green’s Urban Forest that is found both on public and private property.

In 2022, we are asking citizens to submit photos highlighting trees in all four seasons of the year: winter, spring, summer, and fall.

The contest runs through October 31, 2022. In November, the public will vote for the top photo in each category. The top photo will receive a $25 gift certificate from a local nursery or garden center.
Friday Birding Series at Wintergarden/St. John's Nature Preserve 

Bowling Green Parks and Recreation is excited to offer Friday Morning Birding at Wintergarden/ St. John’s Nature Preserve with Chris Gajewicz. This series will run from Friday April 8th until May 27th, 2022. Adults 18 and older and birders of all ability levels are welcome to meet at Wintergarden/ St. John’s Nature Preserve on Fridays at 7:30 AM. Binoculars and field guides are available for those who do not have their own. Hikes will last a minimum of one hour, but could last longer based on sightings and bird activity.
We Are Hiring!

The City of Bowling Green is currently accepting applications for several open positions. Interested applicants may review current Job Postings and the Application Process on the City's website.

Contact the Human Resources Department if additional assistance is required.
Native Plant Sale!
Mark your calendars for the Wood County Park District's Native Plant Sale: Saturday, May 7 from 9:30 am until 1:00 pm at the Wood County Fairgrounds in Bowling Green.

*Bonus pre-sale exclusively for Friends of the Parks members on Friday, May 6 from 9:30 am - 1:00 pm.
For information about & membership to the Friends of the Parks, visit wcparks.org/friends
As cases have continued to drop across the U.S., the CDC has provided new guidelines to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on local COVID cases and hospitalizations.

Precautions are recommended based on the level of risk in the community – low, medium or high. Across all levels, people are encouraged to stay up to date on COVID vaccines and get tested if they have symptoms.

  • For communities classified as low, no other precautions are advised.
  • For communities classified as medium, people who are at high risk for severe illness, like older adults and individuals with certain health conditions, are encouraged to talk to their healthcare provider about whether they should wear a mask and take other precautions.
  • For communities classified as high, it is recommended that everyone wear masks indoors in public.

For more information on the levels visit the Wood County Health Department's Webpage.