Coinciding with Earth Day, Arbor Day is on April 24th, a day for us to celebrate trees which filter the air, give us shade in summer, and give homes to our feathered friends.

In 1872, the State Board of Agriculture accepted a resolution by J. Sterling Morton “to set aside one day to plant trees, both forest and fruit.” Originating in the United States, the celebration of trees has become a world wide phenomenon:

  • In Israel, it is called the New Year’s Day of the Trees
  • Korea has a Tree-Loving Week
  • Iceland has a Student’s Afforestation Day
  • Slavic countries holds an Arbor Day in the spring and an Afforestation Day in the fall
  • India celebrates a National Festival of Tree Planting

“Most holidays celebrate something that has already happened and is worth remembering like the day someone was born or a religious holiday celebrating a past event. Arbor Day reflects a hope for the future. The trees planted on Arbor Day show a concern for future generations.” (Arborday.org)

Try downloading one of these titles on a mobile device, and read under a tree in your yard, or read to a tree that you just planted:

If you are isolating in an apartment or condominium, after you finish your daily walk, hopefully among trees, why not watch a documentary about trees, available on Hoopla:

  • Trees – a family educational film
  • City of Trees – a documentary about “green” job training and social justice
  • The Cloud Forest – a documentary about protecting an at-risk ecosystem

Continue your celebrations of Earth Day, by reading about the Canopy Project, and looking forward to planting a tree in honour of the 50th anniversary.