It’s been 145 years since one million trees were planted during the first American Arbor Day celebration in the state of Nebraska. Today this celebration of the vital role of trees in our communities and in our lives has spread to all 50 states and scores of countries around the world.

In the United States, most Arbor Day celebrations are held on the last Friday of April. This year Arbor Day will be observed on April 27th and it is hoped that you will grab your gloves and shovel and help plant millions of more trees!

Not sure what type of tree to plant? The Arbor Day Foundation has a tree planting guide that will help you choose the best tree for your neighborhood based on your zip code. The organization also offers a vast array of information on its website to help you plan your celebration, including educational resources for teachers that cover both science and the arts. Future Tree Guardians also will find inspirational and helpful resources on The Astonishing World of Trees website.

Arbor Day is a great time to plant a tree in celebration or in memory of someone you love. Check out the Arbor Day Foundation’s gift tree program or plant gift trees with American Forests, which is hoping to plant three million trees in 2018, especially in the areas heavily damaged by wildfires and floods.

Arbor Day founder J. Sterling Morton once wrote: “Each generation takes the earth as trustees. We ought to bequeath to posterity as many forests and orchards as we have exhausted and consumed.” Every tree planted on Arbor Day, or any other day, is an expression of appreciation for the gifts, health benefits and lessons trees provide us, as well as a commitment to be environmental stewards on behalf of the next generations of children who will inherit our most precious planet.

We hope you will plant a tree on Arbor Day and we invite you to post images of your celebration on our Facebook page!

 

Image credit: www.arborday.org

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