Newborn took another step toward recovering from a tornado last April by giving residents 250 seedlings Saturday at the town's Arbor Day celebration.

More than 100 mature trees were destroyed or uprooted in a category F1 tornado in April 2011, and the 250 trees given away will add to the more than 50 trees that had already been replanted since the tornado, according to Newborn resident Linda Williams Woolworth.

"If everyone plants a tree or two, in addition to the many trees already planted by the town, we'll restore our former lush shade before long," said Woolworth said previously.

A free lunch of hot dogs, fixings and drinks were provided by Mansfield-based Blackwell Grocery, while Covington business Arbor Equity set up a tree climbing for children on the Water Oak tree adjacent to town hall. Smokey the Bear was also in Newborn for pictures.

Arbor Day has been celebrated nationally since 1872, often towards the end of April, but the date is selected locally based on the best dates for planting trees. In Georgia, tree planting is best done in the winter, not the spring, so Georgia celebrates Arbor Day on the third Friday in February, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.

Newborn has been designated a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for the past 10 years, an honor recognizing civic commitment to planting and nurturing.