Youngsters celebrate Arbor Day at Inn Yard Park in East Falls [gallery/video]

Some 200 students from Mifflin Elementary and Penn and Wissahickon Charter schools met at Inn Yard Park on Friday morning to participate in the East Falls Tree Tenders’ 19th Annual Arbor Day Celebration.

First graders from all three schools, along with Mifflin second and third graders, offered environmentally themed performances.

They also hanged bagels on trees for birds, ran in “sponge relay races,” adopted flowers and participated in other activities after the annual Arbor Day tree planting of three white oaks (or Quercus alba).

Cynthia Kishinchand, coordinator with East Falls Tree Tenders, explained that the event’s roots trace back to 1995 efforts from Inn Yark Park neighbor Alice Reiff and Sue Park.

According to its website, the Tenders have since planted 905 trees in the Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood (including 22 at Mifflin school).

In addition to the Tree Tenders and neighborhood volunteers, the city Department of Parks and Recreation, East River Bank, National Penn Bank, Wissahickon Environmental Center and other organizations helped support the event.