Arbor Day is coming April 30th. Here’s how we’re celebrating and why you should too…
This year we wanted to do something that gives back to the community and the planet, celebrating the critical importance of a big part of the ecosystem: trees and plants.
Join us on Arbor Day at 5:30 p.m. via livestream for Headwaters’ Virtual Planting Party, where we’re teaming up with the incredibly knowledgeable Eric Larusson from the Villager Nursery to learn about how to plant native species in our home gardens. Then, we’ll head down to the Trout Creek Pocket Park, managed by community partners Mountain Area Preservation, to plant a few more things in their garden space, which the whole community can enjoy for years to come.
But let’s back up a little: how did Arbor Day come to be in the first place? Below we’ll share how it was started and what it means today.
Headwaters Virtual Planting Party
April 30, 5:30 p.m.
Here’s how Arbor Day came about:
- When settlers first moved to Nebraska, they noticed a lack of trees. They needed these materials for resources for building homes, fires, shade from the sun, and windbreaks to help prevent erosion.
- In 1872, J. Sterling Morton, the Secretary of the Nebraska Territory, declared there should be a tree planting holiday.
- The first Arbor Day was April 10, 1872. An estimated 1 million trees were planted that day!
- In 1885 Arbor Day was declared a legal state holiday. It was first observed on April 22nd.
- As time passed many other states began adopting the holiday, and now all 50 celebrate it. Most observe the last Friday in April.
- Today the holiday represents a hope for the future. Each tree planted represents access to clean air, water, and habitat for wildlife.
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