KAYSVILLE -- This community of 24,000 people isn't called a Tree City USA for nothing. Saturday, hundreds of residents, from the very young to adults, were out planting trees, flowers, and more. That was in addition to an official city ceremony that morning where Mayor Neka Roundy, state officials, and others marked the day.

On a three-fourth mile stretch of parkway in the South Ponds area of the city, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, fathers, and others literally dug in to plant the trees.

City Parks director Vance Garfield said members of the Haight Creek LDS Stake, comprised of eight wards, joined in the effort, which passed in front of their stake center, which can be easily seen from I-15.

"We have been working on this for six months," he said. "They wanted to do community service in the morning, and hold their stake conference (meetings) Saturday afternoon and Sunday."

Tri-City Nursery of Kaysville donated 62 trees, all of which were planted. In addition, city crews installed irrigation pipe. Drip-irrigation will service the trees, Garfield said.

City crews will also mow and maintain the parkway area, with a variety of 11 different trees planted, some expected to grow to a maximum of 40 feet high, he said.

Meanwhile, across I-15, dozens of members of the West Kaysville LDS Stake were busy preparing flower beds and planting flowers at the city's new Angel Street Park.

Garfield said the city has benefited from Eagle Scouts completing projects each year. In fact, that was how the Ponds area tree planting idea originated.

"Each year, there are about 13 Eagle projects" involving some kind of improvement to city parks, he said. "That's been the case for my 24 years with the city. The city council always supports Arbor Day projects. We take a lot of pride (in the Tree City designation)."

tbusselberg@davisclipper.com