Things to Do on Arbor Day
Since the late 1800s, Arbor Day has been observed as a day to plant trees. Started by J. Sterling Morton, who was secretary of the Nebraska Territory, the first Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska with a speech by Morton, a parade and tree plantings by local school children. Since this time, Arbor Day has come to be celebrated throughout the nation. Officially, the last Friday of April is designated as Arbor Day. Yet due to weather considerations in various parts of the United States, the day may be celebrated anywhere between January to May.
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Plant Trees
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Gather a group of friends who enjoy working outdoors and plant trees in your yard, in your neighborhood or in your city. You may even want to dedicate a tree in honor of a loved one who has passed or a friend who was a lover of nature. Make certain that you have proper permission to plant if you are doing so on city property. You may want to help a volunteer civic group already tasked with the job of planting trees to plant trees, shrubs and flowers throughout the city.
Learn the Importance of Trees to the Environment
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Buy books or borrow books from the library about the importance of trees to the environment. Getting books about the Amazon rainforest, or watching a movie about this forest, can help to raise awareness about the importance of the environment. Learning about the destruction of this and other forested areas can help encourage you and others to support the tree planting.
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Go for a Nature Walk
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Learn about the importance of trees by being in nature. You and a group of friends can visit a local park or arboretum. You may be able to get a guided tour of the area and learn how the land has changed over time and how the trees have impacted the landscape.
Beautification and Involvement
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Besides planting trees, you and a group of friends can participate in a neighborhood or city beautification project. Cleaning up trash in a local park, locating and informing officials about polluted areas, planting a community garden, and teaching others about the importance of a clean city are other projects that may be done.
Sponsor a photo contest on Arbor Day for kids to participate in. Using their own cameras, the kids can take no more than two pictures of trees and write a short essay about the importance of Arbor Day. The participant with the best photo and essay wins a prize, such as money or a gift certificate to a local toy store or kids clothing store.
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References
- Photo Credit Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
