Arbor Day

Arbor day is a nationally celebrated observance that encourages tree planting. It officially takes place in the United States on the last Friday in April, although each state may have its own Arbor Day based on the planting season. Globally, many other countries have created their own Arbor Day based on the U.S. model. The day began in 1872 when journalist J. Sterling Morton, the editor of Nebraska's first newspaper, proclaimed the holiday in Nebraska. It has been widely cited that one million trees were planted on the first Arbor Day, in part due to prizes offered to individuals and counties for planting the most trees.

Tree planting in the United States was not new in 1872. Euro-Americans planted trees for windbreaks and ceremonial purposes for ...