The
first Arbor Day took place on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska.
It was the brainchild of Julius Sterling
Morton
(1832-1902), a Nebraska journalist and politician
originally from Michigan. Throughout his long and productive career,
Morton worked to improve agricultural techniques in his adopted state
and throughout
the United States when he served as President
Grover Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture. But his most important
legacy is Arbor Day.
 Morton (photo, right)
felt that Nebraska's landscape and economy would benefit from the
wide-scale planting of trees. He set an example himself
planting orchards, shade trees and wind breaks on
his own farm and he urged his neighbours to follow suit. Morton's real
opportunity, though, arrived when he became a member of Nebraska's state
board of
agriculture. He proposed that a special day be set
aside dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness of the
importance of trees. Nebraska's first Arbor Day was an amazing
success. More
than one million trees were planted. A second
Arbor Day took place in 1884 and the young state made it an annual legal
holiday in 1885, using April 22nd to coincide with Morton's birthday.
In
the years following that first Arbor Day,
Morton's idea spread beyond Nebraska with Kansas, Tennessee, Minnesota
and Ohio all proclaiming their own Arbor
Days. Today all 50 states celebrate Arbor Day
although the dates may vary in keeping with the local climate. At the federal level, in 1970, President Richard
Nixon proclaimed the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day. Arbor
Day is also now celebrated in other countries including Australia.
Variations
are celebrated as 'Greening Week' of Japan, 'The
New Year's Days of Trees' in Israel, 'The Tree-loving Week' of Korea,
'The Reforestation Week' of Yugoslavia, 'The Students' Afforestation
Day' of Iceland and 'The
National Festival of Tree Planting' in India.
Julius Sterling Morton would be proud. Sometimes one good idea can make
a real difference.
For
the homeowner, Arbor Day is an excellent opportunity to take stock of
the trees on your property and plan for the future. Inspect your trees.
Note
any broken branches or evidence of disease or
insect infestation.
Think about how planting new trees might
improve the look of your property or provide wind or heat protection.
Take a trip to your
local nursery to see what's available and to get
new ideas.
Walk around your neighborhood. Are there
any public areas where tree planting or tree maintenance might make a
real difference to your community?
Talk with your neighbors. Find out what their
opinions are. And, oh yes, plant a tree.
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