SIDNEY -- The cold and light snow didn't stop the crowd attending the annual tree giveaway.

This morning's event was moved from the Youth Camp to the Shelter House in Legion Park. The tree giveaway is the City of Sidney's opportunity to celebrate Arbor Day.

Parks and Cemetery Superintendent Tom Von Seggern introduced the program with a brief history of Arbor Day.

"The Arbor Day Foundation is headquartered in Nebraska City, Neb. During the last 52 years, more than 250 million Arbor Day trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities, and forests throughout the world," said Von Seggern.

The 8 a.m. event included Von Seggern presenting a banner to city councilmen recognizing Sidney as a Tree City USA, and Chrissy Land, Western Community Forester, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, speaking on how to select the right tree for the environment, and how to plant and take care of it.

Land reviewed the list of available trees with the audience while explaining the proper way to plant a tree.

"If you're looking for some really good yellow fall color, these are the ones that you want to keep in mind: your Prairie Gold Aspen, your Hackberry, the Redmond Linden will turn a bright yellow in the fall. There is a really fun tree on this list, the American Hornbeam. That one is not nearly as common, but when it matures, its going to get these really neat little cones on them that look like hops," Land said.

The celebration and tree give-away have become a major part of the Sidney Tree Board’s community work as it strives to maintain a healthy tree canopy in the City of Sidney.

The tree giveaway included nine species of deciduous trees for Sidney residents. Tree species include: Hedge Maple, Prairie Gold Aspen, Redmond Linden, State Street Maple, American Hornbeam, Prairie Expedition Elm, Canada Red Chokecherry, Hackberry, and Heritage Oak.

Von Seggern said a tree will be planted in Legion Park at a later date.