pineda Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Residents to nurture nature on Arbor Day By: CHEVALIER MAYES , Villager staff The Woodlands will celebrate Arbor Day and the sixth birthday of its mascot, Puffy Pine Cone, Saturday at the Sterling Ridge Village Center. The 28th annual Arbor Day celebration is set to begin at 10 a.m. and run until 2 p.m., with Puffy and friends taking over at 1 p.m. and sharing the fun with community children. The event is a tradition that was established in an effort to help residents reforest their community and environment. Ten varieties of about 28,000 tree seedlings will be distributed to residents for free to aid in that effort. Lorrie Parise, marketing manager for The Woodlands Development Company, said residents will be able "to go through the lines and pick up each type of tree" they'd like to plant in the community. She said a new tradition emerged last year when a limited number of flowering trees were also offered to the community. She said they will be available again this year. Residents will also be able to enter a drawing for a chance to win five, 15-gallon trees and partake of free carnival rides, gifts from Puffy Pine Cone, face painting, a petting zoo, a giant slide, rock-wall climbing and much more. Susan Vreeland-Wendt, director of marketing for TWOC, said the celebration benefits the community as whole. "The celebration is an ongoing program of reforesting," she said. "We're one of the greenest communities in the country and this is just one more element to keep the community green. "It's a good celebration for families. It is very family oriented and it's a way to get people new to the area involved. Most of the replanting is needed in the new areas. "It's always a beautiful, cool day and everybody gets out and has a good time. It's a wonderful tradition." Vreeland-Wendt said over the years the celebration has passed out a total of 725,000 trees to residents for replanting. The Arbor Day celebration started when The Woodlands was just 3 years old. She said a lot of residents have planted trees since, watching them grow along with their children. Parise said the drawing gives residents a chance to take home an assortment of trees that range from Cherry Laurels, to Bartlett Pears to several different kinds of Magnolia trees and more. Puffy's free gift to the children will be a gumball machine with his picture on the front, but Parise said supplies are limited so children should come early for the birthday festivities. Puffy's friends will also be in attendance for this newest milestone. Always a crowd pleaser himself, Puffy keeps good company with Blue from Blue's Clues, Sponge Bob Square Pants, Dora the Explorer, McGruff the Crime Dog, Grimace from McDonald's, Cow from Chick-Fil-A, Tomato from Sweet Tomatoes and Clutch from the Houston Rockets. Parise said the event gains popularity each year. "It grows every year, especially since The Woodlands is developing," she said. "It is exciting for people new to The Woodlands. The Woodlands is a master-planned community that boasts trees and nature, which is important to the people who live here. They do look forward to it once a year." The event will kick off with free donuts and hot chocolate. The tree drawing will began at 1:45 p.m. Organizations such as the Community Association of The Woodlands and The Woodlands GREEN will also have booths set up at the event with free give-a-ways. Puffy Pine Cone will have a booth of his own handing out birthday cupcakes. The Woodlands Fire Department will join residents for the celebration, too. Along with The Woodlands Development Company, the Arbor Day celebration is sponsored and organized by the merchants at the Sterling Ridge Village Center and the Community Associations of The Woodlands. The Sterling Ridge Village Center is located on Woodlands Parkway at the northwest intersection of Kuykendahl. For more information about the Arbor Day celebration, visit http://thewoodlands.net or call (281) 719-6100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanLandscape Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 The event will kick off with free donuts and hot chocolate.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hah, it's funny because it's so warm.Puffy Pine Cone?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 That's the mascot of TheWoodlands, I think. So silly. Just plant the darned trees already! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanLandscape Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 That's the mascot of TheWoodlands, I think. So silly. Just plant the darned trees already!<{POST_SNAPBACK}>No. Not silly. Sad. Stupid. Pathetic. Frightening. You can always count on TheWoodlandsCorp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamtagon Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 For most preteens, Puffy Pine Cone would be a fun diversion. Then the become a cynical suburban product. Kids dont know - that's the way parents like it, slow and easy.over the years the celebration has passed out a total of 725,000 trees to residents for replanting.That's alot of trees, how many did they cut down to build the place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt16 Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 Make fun, but these kind of things make The Woodlands one of the most desirable communities in Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted January 21, 2005 Author Share Posted January 21, 2005 yeah, a good marketing plan doesn't hurt either, huh? We're actually going out there nice and early Saturday with a big group from the Spring area to take part in the festivities, courtesy of the Woodlands! Can't wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 Puffy is Mr. Hankey's couisn... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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