BEXLEY, Ohio (WCMH) — The streets crisscrossing Bexley’s two square miles are slow and shady, lined by thousands of city trees.
The city’s more than 14,000 trees are not just a source of pride, they are a part of Bexley’s municipal makeup. Bexley is inviting residents to embrace the city’s arboretum status with its annual Jeffrey Woods Festival, taking place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
An arboretum is an official designation for a place where trees are cultivated and intentionally preserved. According to the city, its 2013 designation made it the first city in the U.S. to be an officially registered arboretum. The designation has six requirements, including offering at least 100 species of trees with signage identifying them and maintaining a governing board dedicated to the arboretum.
The Jeffrey Woods Festival celebrates the city’s 39% canopy cover. This year’s event includes a sawmill demonstration, wildlife displays and woodland walks. The six-hour festival is full of demonstrations and learning opportunities, each embracing the city’s forestry. Mayor of Bexley Ben Kessler said the event began in 2014 and has been one of his favorites ever since.
“This year we are really blowing it out and adding a lot more to the festival to really celebrate,” Kessler said.
One event, maple syrup production, is a two-day program that began on Feb. 22, although participation at both events is not required. Kessler said this has been around from the start, and he is part of the team that helps teach about sugar maple tapping, where participants learned how to identify and tap maple trees, helping them install buckets for sap collection.
The second day of the event occurs in tandem with the Jeffrey Woods Festival and will teach participants how to evaporate the maple sap to create maple syrup. The city said it takes 42 gallons of sap per gallon of syrup, and the demonstration is once again led by the city maple syrup consultant. Kessler said it is a full day’s work and one he looks forward to each year, growing out his beard for months in anticipation.
Other activities include the fan-favorite wood chop shop, several 90 minute programs where participants can take home as much firewood as they are able to process. Kessler said these trees are cut down throughout the year for other reasons and repurposed. He said people typically filter in and out throughout the day, allowing for him to meet residents more casually.
Participants must preregister for the event, which will take place at the Bexley Pool parking lot and shelter house. The full event schedule and registration link can be found online.