The Nature Conservancy in Indiana - JWN - Arbor Daze

Arbor Day Celebration 2008

The Indiana State Museum and The Nature Conservancy would like to invite you to the 2008 Arbor Day Celebration presented by Duke Energy.

The event takes place at the state museum on April 25 from 9:30 - 2 p.m. Come with your kids or your class and check out the exhibits or participate in a tree planting.

Help Plant a Billion Trees

The Nature Conservancy wants your help in planting some trees, a billion in fact! The Atlantic Forest of Brazil is one the largest and most endangered tropical forests in the world. Urban sprawl, coastal development and illegal logging are just a few contributions to the degradation of the land.

The Conservancy is working with local partners to bring the Atlantic Forest back from the brink. Our goal is to plant a billion trees over the next seven years in effort to restore the 2.5 million acres of forest. Visit Plant a Billion and learn how you can help!

He that plants a tree loves others than himself.
Thomas Fuller, physician and scholar

On every last Friday of April, Hoosiers around the state come together to celebrate trees. And why not? Trees are vital to the environmental quality, and the quality of life, in Indiana. Without trees, we wouldn't have as clean of air to breathe or as beautiful of a landscape to admire. In many ways, trees are definitely worth celebrating.

The History of Arbor Day

Arbor Day began with one man. J. Sterling Morton was a Michigan native who moved to Nebraska in 1854. As the editor of the state's first newspaper, Morton took advantage of his post to promote the settlement of Nebraska.

Although the tallgrass prairie of the Great Plains provided excellent farmland, the lack of trees was an issue. Morton believed that the would-be settlers would be discouraged to move to Nebraska as there were no trees to build their homes or for fuel. In 1872, Morton suggested a tree planting event at a Nebraska State Board of Agriculture meeting. On April 10 of that year, the first Arbor Day celebration took place with prizes offered to the counties and individuals who planted the most trees. It has been said that over a million trees were planted that day.

In 1885, Arbor Day was recognized as an official Nebraskan holiday that would be celebrated every April 22 - which was also J. Sterling Morton's birthday. The rest of the United States followed suit, but Arbor Days were acknowledged on various dates as to coincide with the best tree planting weather in those states. For example, Indiana celebrates Arbor Day on the last Friday of every April. Other countries - like Australia, Brazil and the Philippines - have their own versions of Arbor Day.

The Importance of Trees

Besides being beautiful natural entities, trees play an important part in our community. Among many things, trees can:

create oxygen
absorb pollution and carbon dioxide (which can slow down climate change)
excellent erosion control and as windbreaks for agriculture use
provide shade and can effectively cool homes and buildings
offer food and shelter to numerous wildlife
act as green corridors by connecting natural communities

How You Can Celebrate Arbor Day

The best way to celebrate Arbor Day is the most obvious way - plant a tree! Tree planting isn't hard work - especially when the trees are free - but certain rules should be followed in order to keep your seedling growing.

Another way to acknowledge Arbor Day is to participate in your local Arbor Day celebrations. The Indiana Urban Forest Council has collected information on several events around the state.

For More Information

The Arbor Day Foundation is a great resource for anything and everything about trees. Check out their tree guide, instructions on how to care for your trees and whether or not your city is a Tree City. Educators teaching 4th grade and up may be interested in the Foundation's interactive Carly's Kids Corner.

The DNR's Division of Forestry's Indiana Arbor Day resources include information on free trees, how to plan tree planting ceremonies and tools for teachers. Don't forget to check out their video on how seedlings are grown in preparation for tree plantings.

For educators looking for ideas on how to teach their class about Arbor Day, Teacher Planet offers plenty of creative suggestions.