Join us as we celebrate Earth Day & Arbor Week
This is usually the time of year when we participate in Arbor Week events in our local communities. All our arborists take part in Earth Day and Arbor Day activities in schools, fairs, events, local groups and organizations. Every year, we enjoy giving out thousands of tree saplings and planting hundreds of trees. We look forward to seeing you at an event in our region. Our arborists will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding trees and shrubs.
What is the history of Arbor Day?
The tradition of planting trees on Arbor Day was started by J. Sterling Morton in 1872. He had moved to Nebraska from Detroit and was surprised when he didn’t find many trees there. So he started planting trees in his backyard and his neighborhood with his wife. He was also a journalist and newspaper publisher, so he started advocating tree planting in his newspaper. He explained that trees were needed as windbreaks to keep soil in place, for fuel and building materials, and for shade from the hot sun.
On January 4, 1872, Morton first proposed a tree-planting holiday to be called “Arbor Day” at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture. The date was set for April 10, 1872. Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for properly planting the most number of trees on that day. It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day.
In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in Nebraska and April 22, Morton’s birthday, was selected as the date for its permanent observance. Other states passed legislation to observe Arbor Day, and the tradition began in schools nation-wide. Today, all 50 states, as well as many countries around the world, recognize Arbor Day in some manner. The day of its observance varies, depending on the best time of year to plant trees in each locale.
Ask an Arborist...
Do you have any questions about trees, shrubs, lawns — or anything that is related to arboriculture. Simply fill out the form below and click the submit button. An Almstead arborist will answer them for you here.
Cool Arbor Day Links...
Below are links to some cool web resources about Arbor Day.
- What Is Arbor Day — Video from Morton Arboretum
- Trees Around The World — From Arbor Day Foundation
- Life Of A Tree — From Arbor Day Foundation
- Teacher Planet — Arbor Day resources for teachers including printable coloring pages and worksheets.
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What are some activities you can do to celebrate Arbor Day?
- Plant a tree.
- Take care of trees and plants in your backyard or in your community.
- Read a book about trees – enter our raffle (see above right).
- Enjoy the outdoors — make sure you observe stay-at-home and social distancing guidelines, or just enjoy your own backyard.
- Make a poster about trees for your room.
- Write a story that features trees.
- Start a journal about all the trees and plants in your backyard.
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