On Friday, Minnesota state representatives took home saplings for Arbor Day. It's a fine bipartisan tradition.
Here's a press release about the event:
Minnesota House Members Celebrate Arbor Day by Distributing Trees
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – In honor of Arbor Day, which is celebrated the last Friday of April, Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL - South St. Paul) and bipartisan members of the Minnesota House distributed Red Oak, White Pine, Black Cherry saplings from Schumacher’s Nursery in Heron Lake, Minnesota, to members of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
“I’m proud to continue this bipartisan tradition celebrating Arbor Day, handing out tree saplings on the Minnesota House Floor,” said Rep. Hansen, Minnesota House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee co-chair. “As members return to their districts for the weekend, it is a perfect time to remember the importance of the environment and the impact our work at the Capitol has on the natural world.”
This yearly bipartisan House tradition has been celebrated around Arbor Day for over 40 years. Legislators and House staff met this morning to prepare tree saplings for distribution during today’s floor session. A recording of the representative’s floor speeches will be posted here.
Here's a YouTube of the presentation:
In a legislative update email, Representative Dawn Gillman, R-Dassel, shared her thoughts:
Boxing Up Christmas Trees for Arbor Day—A Fun Friday Morning!
What a fun way to kick off the weekend—this Friday morning, I had the awesome opportunity to be part of a special cause, bagging up a variety of trees in celebration of Arbor Day! It was a heartwarming and hands-on way to give back to the environment, and I loved every minute of it. There's something so fulfilling about contributing to a project that celebrates the beauty and importance of trees. Plus, it was a blast getting a behind-the-scenes look at the process. So grateful to be a part of this effort—it's always nice to mix some fun into making a positive impact!
I had an awesome team alongside me—Rep. Mary Franson, Rep. Rick Hansen, and Rep. Peter Fischer—and they absolutely crushed it as the best tree baggers around!
A photo from the email:
Bluestem hopes my readers will follow their examples and plant some trees.
Photo top: Minnesota representatives Peter Fischer, Mary Franson, Rick Hansen, and Dawn Gillman. Bottom: Dawn Gillman bags a sapling while sporting some bodacious tattoos. Source: Michele Jokinen, House Photography.
Note: this entry is edited, after a social media post was no longer available to embed.
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