NORMAN – The University of Oklahoma will celebrate Arbor Day with a picnic and tree planting on the Norman campus Thursday, March 29. The OU Jazz Combo will play prior to the program.

Members of the university and surrounding communities are invited to participate in the picnic, scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. with the program at noon at David A. Burr Park, 1501 Asp Ave. A tree planting will follow on the grounds of the Duck Pond.

As part of the festivities, President and Mrs. Boren and OU staff members will be recognized for their contributions and campus organizations will be honored for maintenance of their “adopted” areas.

Each year the OU Libraries Western History Collections creates an Arbor Week display in Bizzell Memorial Library. This year’s display, “Transforming the Oklahoma Prairie: More than a Century of Trees – from David Ross Boyd to David L. Boren,” is located in the Monnet Hall Reading Room from March 26 through the end of the spring semester.

OU first recognized Arbor Week in 1997 with the dedication of David A. Burr Park, honoring the late vice president for university affairs. Oklahoma celebrates Arbor Week earlier than some communities nationwide because of different planting times. This year, National Arbor Day is April 27, while Oklahoma’s Arbor Week is March 25 to 31.

To volunteer for the tree planting, contact Volunteer Programs at (405) 325-2340. For more information or accommodations, call the Office of Public Affairs at (405) 325-3784.