How was Arbor Day Started?

Nebraskans planted an estimated one million trees on the first Arbor Day.

The desolate, windswept prairie of Nebraska was the setting of the first Arbor Day. Initially, Arbor Day began as a way to "green" the territory of Nebraska as new settlers discovered a dearth of trees. Despite its origins as a local holiday, Arbor Day rapidly established itself across the United States and the rest of the world. The Arbor Day Foundation lists 33 countries in addition to the United States that celebrate Arbor Day.

Origins

J. Sterling Morton, a journalist, moved from Detroit to Nebraska with his wife to farm his own homestead in 1854. Responding to the lack of trees, shrubbery and flowers, he and his wife added greenery to their homestead. When Morton became the editor of "Nebraska City News," he urged his neighbors to follow his lead in planting trees, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.

Impetus

The impetus behind Morton's drive to plant trees was not merely his desire to have a more verdant home. In his newspaper editorials, he preached the benefit of trees, which could act as windbreakers, in turn preventing the erosion of soil. The addition of trees to Nebraska could also provide farmers with heating and cooking fuel. Morton gradually became more involved both in politics and in agricultural organizations, using his positions to encourage both individuals and organizations to take up tree planting, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.

First Celebration

"Nature Bulletin," a publication of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, reports that in January 1872, as a member of the State Board of Agriculture, Morton put a resolution before the state board. He asked the board to resolve that April 10, 1872 be "especially set apart and consecrated for the planting of trees in the State of Nebraska and the State Board of Agriculture hereby name it Arbor Day." The board passed Morton's resolution, offering rewards to individuals or counties that planted the greatest number of trees on the newly christened Arbor Day. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, Nebraskans successfully planted around one million trees on that first Arbor Day.

Promulgation

Nebraskans continued to celebrate Arbor Day, and in 1885, the governor made it a legal holiday to be celebrated on Morton's birthday, April 22. The Nebraskan holiday had gained national prominence by that time, with the National Education Association advocating schools adopt Arbor Day as an activity for children, according to "Nature Bulletin." While many states celebrated Arbor Day at the end of April like Nebraska, others timed the holiday to coincide with the best time to plant trees in their region.

Significance

While one man's passion was the driving force behind Arbor Day, the holiday was in the spirit of the conservation movement of the late 1800s. According to Duke University's environmental history website, "If Trees Could Talk," the need to protect natural resources, such as trees, in the wake of rapid industrialization and development was very much on the minds of Americans. In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt, a conservationist, urged schoolchildren to observe Arbor Day, hoping to inculcate an appreciation of nature.

References

• Arbor Day Foundation: Arbor Day Around the World
• Arbor Day Foundation: The History of Arbor Day
• Newton BBS: "Nature Bulletin" from the Forest Preserve District of Cook County
• Duke University: Arbor Day

Resources

• Virginia Department of Forestry: Arbor Day
• Arbor Day Foundation