Lacey City Council proclaims Earth Day, Arbor Month 

Ushering in two environmental observances, the Lacey City Council proclaimed Earth Day and Arbor Month at a meeting on April 7.  

The council's Earth Day proclamation designated Wednesday, April 22, as Earth Day in the City of Lacey. In doing so, it marked the holiday's 56th anniversary and cited global challenges, including environmental degradation, climate change, and food and water shortages. 

It also recognized the city's ongoing efforts to conserve water and energy, reduce carbon emissions and waste, and maintain its Tree City USA designation. 

Thurston County PARC Foundation CEO Heather Antanaitis accepted the Earth Day proclamation at the meeting. She thanked the city for its investment in natural spaces and described the foundation as a committed partner with Lacey and communities across Thurston County. 

Antanaitis invited residents to a community stewardship event on April 18 at Woodland Park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event includes a student participation challenge, with $1,000 going to the school with the highest attendance and $500 to the runner-up. Both awards go directly to student organizations. 

Mayor Andy Ryder noted the PARC Foundation also serves as fiduciary for the Lacey Community Foundation. 

The council's Arbor Month proclamation designated April 2026 as Arbor Month in the city. The proclamation traced the month's origins to 1872, when Sterling Morton proposed to the Nebraska Board of Agriculture that a special day be set aside for planting trees. That first observance saw more than one million trees planted in Nebraska. 

The proclamation credited Lacey's urban forest for contributing to community livability, economic vitality, and neighborhood quality. It affirmed the city's commitment to responsible tree care through community programs, partnerships and sustainable practices. 

The meeting also featured the city's annual tree exchange with the City of Yelm. Lacey presented a Raspberry Spear Crabapple tree to Yelm, which was accepted by Yelm Building Official Chris Vaccaro. 

Vaccaro said Yelm will present a tree to Lacey at its Arbor Day celebration on Thursday, April 23, at the Yelm Community Center at 5:30 p.m. 

Ryder said Lacey is among Washington state's first Tree City USA designees. He said he hopes the two cities will eventually map all the trees they have exchanged and planted in each other's communities over the years.