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What’s All the Hype Around Arbor Day?
Arbor Day is a national holiday dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the importance of trees. Arbor Day is a beloved holiday to the Arden family and holds great significance to our communities. Keep on reading to learn more about the historical significance behind Arbor Day, why we celebrate it, as well as ways to get involved to honor the hallowed trees that provide us with strong structures to live in and clean air to breathe!
The History of Arbor Day
National Arbor Day is always celebrated on the last Friday of April, which makes Friday, April 29th Arbor Day in 2022.
Arbor Day originated from Julius Sterling Morton, a Nebraskan journalist who later became the U.S. Agriculture Secretary. Morton was known as an avid advocate for tree planting and sought to establish a day solely dedicated to planting trees.
The first Arbor Day was recognized in Nebraska on April 10, 1874. Gaining much attention from surrounding states, the holiday caught on and by 1882 it had become a national event. Nebraska declared Arbor Day a legal holiday in 1885 and to be celebrated on April 22, in honor of Morton’s birthday with approximately one million trees planted during the first Arbor Day holiday.
Much like Earth Day, Arbor Day is a holiday that focuses on honoring the beauty and abundance of nature. Its purpose is to encourage people to give back to nature by planting trees. Traditionally, communities take the opportunity to come together and organize tree-planting events in honor of the holiday.
Arbor Day’s Significance
Arbor Day holds a very significant meaning within the Arden community. The name Arden means “great forest” in Latin, evoking prosperity, growth, and strength. We see the forest as an inclusive environment with everything contributing to the overall vitality of its health. As a tree is in good company in a forest, our residents are surrounded by a supportive community of peers and rooted in a place that is lively and inspiring.
In honor of Arbor Day, every Arden community will plant one tree for each personal dwelling through the organization One Tree Planted. At Arden, one of our top priorities is giving back to the local community, and this is another way of doing that – by reforesting and adding a community of trees on behalf of each new community that we build.
As we are starting the construction of our communities now, we are beginning to dream of the many ways that we can celebrate with our residents in the future.
How Can You Celebrate Arbor Day?
Looking for ways to participate? Below are a few suggestions on how to celebrate from The Arbor Day Foundation. Happy planting!
Plant a tree yourself. Plant trees on your own property, pot an indoor tree for your own home, or volunteer with your local government agency to plant or care for trees on public land in your area.
Read a book about trees, such as “The Living Forest” by Robert Llewellyn, and learn to identify different types of trees.
Or read a fun fiction book that emphasizes the importance of trees in a variety of cultures like “The Island of Missing Trees”.
Enjoy the outdoor by visiting a local park or taking a nature hike.
Download a free app to help you better identify the types of trees around you
Volunteer with a local tree-planting organization.
Practice the Japanese tradition of Shinrin-yoku or forest-bathing – taking in the forest through your five senses
What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate Arbor Day? Don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know how we should honor this notable holiday in the future.
Now you’re ready to celebrate Arbor Day 2022. Life is better in the forest – Happy Planting and forest bathing!
Remember, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn, and at Arden, we believe in investing in the joy today and tomorrow.
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