NORTHWOOD (AP) - As Vivian Grotte watched as a young maple tree was planted next to her house Thursday, she asked whether she'll need to secure the 4-foot-tall sapling with stakes to keep it from blowing down - or away.

That's a fair question in Northwood, which lost thousands of trees to a tornado last August. The maple tree will replace a towering evergreen tree that blew down during the storm.

"The good Lord laid it down right next to the house, but it didn't hit it," she said.

The volunteer crew also planted an American linden and a hackberry tree in her yard. The three-member crew was just a fraction of the more than 30 volunteers who planted 135 trees Thursday to help celebrate Arbor Day.

Northwood hosted the North Dakota State Arbor Day Celebration on Friday.

Northwood residents who signed up were eligible to receive three trees. On Thursday, volunteers planted trees in yards of elderly residents and those who may not be able to plant trees themselves.

"I think this is wonderful," Grotte said. "It's just such a boost. I'm a widow, and I can't plant a tree."

Two nurseries donated about 350 trees, 15 varieties in all, according to Marcy Douglas, city administrator.

The tornado took elm, oak, ash, maple and cottonwood trees, as well as apple and cherry trees. The replacement trees include linden, mountain ash, hackberry, lilac, maple, honeylocust, apple and cherry, among others.

The tornado destroyed more than 70 percent of the mature trees that lined Northwood's streets and boulevards.

"The tornado damaged thousands of dollars worth of tree stock," said Nedra Hoberg, of the Grand Forks County Soil Conservation District.

Don and Zerlene Woodward lost four trees that were at least 80 years old. The new trees are just sprigs, compared with the ones they lost. That's not a concern to the Woodwards.

"I think it's great," Dan Woodward said. "Things are still pretty much a mess, but we'll get there."

Dan Mager, soil conservation technician with the Natural Resources Conservation District in Grand Forks, said this week's tree-planting is a good start.

"We're trying to make the city of Northwood whole again," he said.