Arbor Day occurs this year on April 29, which is a Friday. Designate a tree in honor of the person who is important to you. Also, check out these Arbor Day facts and the man who created them.
When is Arbor Day?
Arbor Day is celebrated on the final Friday of April. Some states celebrate it at times that are more in sync with local areas’ plant times. For example, Hawaii celebrates Arbor Day on the first Friday in November, while Alaskans observe Arbor Day every third Monday of May.
Which Is Arbor Day?
Arbor Day, like Earth Day, is a day that is a celebration of nature.
The purpose of the holiday is to inspire individuals to take part in planting trees, and many communities celebrate the holiday by organizing litter-collecting and tree-planting activities in the days or weeks leading up to the time of the holiday.
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Arbor Day and the History of Arbor Day
Arbor Day sprouted from the brain of a tree enthusiast known as Julius Sterling Morton, who was a lover of planting all types of trees.
The first Arbor Day occurred on April 10, 1872, in Nebraska City, Nebraska. It is estimated that close to 1 million trees had been planted on that day.
In 1885, Arbor Day became an official celebration in Nebraska. (The day was later changed from April 22 to commemorate Morton’s birthday and mark the 22nd day of April.) On April 22, hundreds of Nebraska City citizens turned out for a huge celebration, including thousands of schoolchildren who participated in an entire parade.
It was observed across every American state within the first 20 years of its birth, except Delaware, which later joined the celebrations.
What was particularly pleasing for Morton Was the reality that all schools nationwide began to observe Arbor Day by dedicating the trees they planted to particular individuals.
Who was Julius Sterling Morton?
Morton was born in Adams, New York, in 1832. However, his life changed dramatically on the day of his wedding in the fall of 1854. The bride and groom, Caroline Joy French, were married in Detroit, after which they traveled to the west to explore the wilderness in the Nebraska Territory. They found themselves on 160 acres of undeveloped land (the most important word is the word “treeless”).
Morton planted thousands of trees on his homestead despite a full-time job with four children, known as”the Morton “ranche.” He planted an apple orchard along with the plum, peach, pear trees and evergreens, cottonwoods, beeches, and many more.
Morton made use of every opportunity to get the word out. He delivered speeches and filled his papers with advice on agriculture, encouraging Nebraskans to plant trees and try out new crop varieties.
The family home, Arbor Lodge, is the state park of Nebraska City, Nebraska. Through the decades, Arbor Lodge grew from an old four-room house to an elaborate mansion of 52 rooms with a terraced garden, an enclave of pines, and 65 acres with more than 250 different trees and plants.
J. Sterling Morton died at the age of 70 on April 27, 1902, and he had written one month before that he was planning to plant trees when the weather began to warm. His statue can be seen in the National Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C.
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Some highlights from the Morton career
- Morton was a journalist and politician. He was Secretary and acting governor for the Nebraska Territory from 1858 to 1861.
- The year was 1872. Morton stated: “If I had the power, I would compel every man in the State who had a home of his own to plant out and cultivate fruit trees.”
- In 1893 in 1893, President Grover Cleveland appointed him U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He also was a member of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture and the State Horticultural Society.
Funny Fact: Arbor Day was almost named Sylvan Day, which means “wooded.” Several members of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture favored it. Still, Morton thought that the word “sylvan” is only a reference to trees in the forest and that the term Arbor Day was most inclusive in that it covered forests and fruit trees.
Arbor Day Facts For Kids
First US Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska on April 10, 1872. It was proposed by the Secretary of the Nebraska Territory, J. Sterling Morton.
1). 1. U.S. Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska on April 10, 1872, following a proposal by the Secretary for the Nebraska Territory, J. Sterling Morton.
2). In 1920, over 45 U.S. states celebrated Arbor Day.
3). 3. The Arbor Day Foundation was founded in 1972 to commemorate 100 years of celebration of Arbor Day. The non-profit conservation organization provides more than 10 million trees each year.
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4). Arbor Day was almost called Sylvan Day, coming from the Latin word “Silva,” meaning “of the forest” or “woodland.” J. Sterling Morton decided against this name since he wanted to encompass all kinds of trees and not only trees that grow in forests.
5). It’s estimated that 1 million trees were established in Nebraska during the first Arbor Day.
6). In The U.S., Arbor Day is typically observed on the last Friday in April, but numerous states observe Arbor Day at different times to match the most optimal time to plant trees. In particular, certain states located in deep southern regions observe in February, and states in the extreme north celebrate in May.
7). The first time that we have documented Arbor Day was celebrated in the Spanish village of Mondonedo in 1594! They planted horse-chestnut and lime trees.
8). Today, at the very least, 44 countries worldwide observe Arbor Day each year.
9). On April 15, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt issued the “Arbor Day Proclamation to the School Children of the United States,” highlighting the importance of trees and the forestry industry.
10). The best way to commemorate Arbor Day is to plant trees. They have many benefits for humans, wildlife, and the environment.
Do you observe Arbor Day? What kinds of trees are in your backyard? Tell us about them in the comments below!
