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How to Spruce Up Your Arbor Day
Arbor Day is opportunity. It is a time to add more trees to our communities that are so much in need of expanded green canopies and the benefits they provide. It is a time to bring people together for a cause that crosses all boundaries of politics, religion, or social status.
It is the opportunity to educate children and adults about trees and tree care. And for tree boards and professionals in the green industries, it provides priceless exposure to what we do and why.
The idea of a day set apart to plant trees was presented to the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture in 1872, resulting in 1 million trees being planted later that year on the first Arbor Day. More than that, Arbor Day became an annual event that quickly spread to all corners of the nation and even overseas. Today, communities across the country celebrate the holiday.
Arbor Day is a true grass roots idea. It is a community event ranging from a small gathering of schoolchildren to week-long celebrations involving thousands of people with side events featuring artists, musicians, and all the flair of a tourism promotion.
There is no right or wrong way to celebrate Arbor Day. The Arbor Day Foundation honors and appreciates each and every event. However, in this bulletin, we issue the challenge to think of how you might do something different next year. Change may not come easy, but a fresh look at your event may result in greater participation and renewed interest. Following are some ideas about how to make a good event even better.
In This Bulletin
Here’s what’s inside:
- A Checklist of Ideas – going beyond the basics of celebrating
- Some Outstanding Examples – cities celebrating Arbor Day in a big way
- Arbor Day at School – ways to engage children in the classroom
- Tree Campus Higher Education and Arbor Day – examples of college campuses engaging in the tree planter’s holiday