National Arbor Day 150th Anniversary

​For the past 150 years, America has celebrated an annual tree-planting holiday, known as National Arbor Day. And for the last 50 years, the Arbor Day Foundation has helped fund, plan, and spread the word about this holiday and the importance of planting trees. 

​What is the Arbor Day Foundation? 

​While our country has celebrated Arbor Day since 1872, the Arbor Day Foundation wasn’t established until 1972. Its mission? Plant as many trees as possible, in as many places as possible. Thanks to these efforts, the Arbor Day Foundation has contributed nearly 500 million trees across over 50 countries around the world!

​How do they do it?

​The Arbor Day Foundation does more than just spread the word about tree planting. Their efforts reach all across the world!

​One such effort is Tree City USA, a program established with the USDA Forest Services and National Associate of State Foresters. Tree City USA supports and encourages cities to maintain their urban forests. In its first year back in 1976, 46 different cities in America participated in this program. In 2022, more than 3,600 cities are involved!

​Tree City USA expanded in 2018 with the Tree Cities of the World branch, which reaches cities on every continent (except Antarctica) in over 55 countries across the globe. 

​The Community Tree Recovery program is another effort to keep up our tree population, this time by providing free trees to community members who have lost trees due to natural disasters. 

​Tree Campus Higher Education consists of nearly 400 higher education campuses, all of which follow the program’s best tree care practices. 

​The Arbor Day Foundation is partnered with the US Forest Service to assist in the reforestation of our national forests. 

​What’s the point? 

​All this might seem like a lot of fuss about trees – and it is! Trees are vital to our communities and to our planet. Not only do they create the oxygen we need to breathe, but they also filter out harmful pollutants and carbon dioxide. This has the dual effect of making our air cleaner for us to breathe, and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which helps slow the buildup that contributes to climate change.

​Trees also help support the local ecosystem by providing shelter, food, and nesting grounds for a variety of species. Their root systems help reduce erosion, and their canopies can actually cool the temperatures in the area by shading the blazing sun. 

Plus, we as a species just really, really like trees. We’ve talked before about the healing power of trees; a simple walk through the park can help soothe mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety! Hospital patients who can see trees from their windows even recover faster!

​How can you get involved? 

​If you want to help out the Arbor Day Foundation, or just participate in the Arbor Day celebration this year, there are a few ways you can get involved: 

​Post to social media! During the week of Arbor Day, the Arbor Day Foundation is planting one tree for each individual Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook post that has the hashtag #ArborDay (up to 75,000 trees!). Plus, this year, Kimberly-Clark has agreed to match those efforts, meaning that you post about the holiday will plant two trees!

Join the Foundation! By making a one-time donation in the amount of your choice, you can become a member of the Arbor Day Foundation, and receive 10 free trees to plant. Whether you plant them in your yard or pass them around your community, that’s 10 more trees in the world. You can also choose to have your 10 trees sent to one of America’s national forests, or even the rain forest!

In addition to your trees, a membership with the Foundation includes a subscription to the bimonthly Arbor Day newsletter, a copy of The Tree Book to guide you in planting and caring for your trees, and discounts on trees and shrubs purchased in the Online Tree Nursery. 

Donate! You can support the Foundation by sending a one-time donation, or set up a recurring one. The money you contribute will assist the Arbor Day Foundation in planting trees across the world. 

​Spread the Word! If you tell 5 friends about Arbor Day, and 3 of those friends decide to join the Foundation, that’s 30 trees planted! And if those 5 friends tell 5 friends, who tell 5 other friends… the amount of trees planted this year will explode exponentially. 

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Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Sources:
Arbor Day Foundation