About 30 children planted trees Friday at Memorial Park in Albert Lea as part of an Arbor Day celebration.

They were joined by their preschool teachers at The Children’s Center and by arborists from the Albert Lea Parks and Recreation Department and a forester from the Albert Lea office for ITC Midwest, which owns and operates transmission lines in the region.

Chip Murrow of ITC Midwest spoke to the children. He passed out hardhats and some pint-sized shovels. He asked the kids what is needed to plant trees. They responded with: seeds, water, soil, fertilizer, sunshine.

Then he explained that it is important to find a good spot. He said one way to find a good spot is if there is nothing overhead, such as power lines or other structures.

He passed out a copy of the Dr. Suess book “The Lorax” to one birthday girl and then told the children, “Life is a shade better under the trees.”

The boys and girls split into three groups and, with the help of the tree experts, planted about 20 trees at the park.