Arbor Day

The last Friday of April is Arbor Day, and that day is today. Most people know that Arbor Day celebrates the beauty and importance of trees in the environment, but few know when and how it started.

A journalist named J. Sterling Morton, an early pioneer in the Nebraska Territory, encouraged tree planting by individuals and organizations in the barren farmland of the plains during the 1850s. At that time, new trees were greatly needed in plains farming by serving as windbreaks, and to provide fuel in the winter months. With the interest of his tree-planting campaigns, Morton proposed a state-wide tree planting holiday for April 1872. There were contests and prizes for the greatest number of trees planted on that first Arbor Day. Estimates state that over 1 million trees were planted as a result. The tradition continued, spreading to other states through the 1870s, and to schools nationwide, which led to the national Arbor Day that exists today.

Tree-planting is not the only way to celebrate Morton's cause - but certainly the best one. Here are a few resources to make your celebration happen:

The Arbor Day Foundation has a list of ways to celebrate on their website.

Locally, LA DWP is has Free Residential Shade Tree Program for customers, as well as a Free Non-Residential Shade Tree Program for businesses. All customers need to do is complete a online workshop.

Million Trees LA has advice on How to Plant the Right Tree in the Right Place, and asks that participants log trees planted so they can track how many trees have been added in the area.

Of course, if you want to keep it simple, there's nothing wrong with celebrating by sitting under a nice shade tree on a sunny southern California afternoon. Happy Arbor Day everyone.