Celebrate Arbor Day 2010
[Arbor Day is the last Friday in April each year!]
"Every Year, Millions Of Trees Are Planted To Renew Idaho's Forests."
Arbor Day is Friday, April 30, 2010
JILLIAN ORR:
Idaho's 2009 Arbor Day Poster Contest Winner
2010 Arbor Day Calendar of Events
Get Your 2009 Arbor Day T-Shirts SOLD OUT
2009 Arbor Day Pictures
Look for Arbor Day Billboards through the state in April!
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ARBOR DAY...NEWS!
2009 Arbor Day Event
10:00 a.m. - Friday, April 24, 2009 - Capitol Park
Posting the Colors
Idaho Army National Guard Honor Guard
Pledge of Allegiance
Welcome
Donna Jones, State Controller
Arbor Day Proclamation & Comments
C. L. "Butch" Otter, Governor
Betty J. Munis, Forest Products Commission
Cecilia Seesholtz, Boise National Forest
Endowment Forest Lands Presentation
C.L. "Butch" Otter, Governor and Idaho Land Board Member
Ben Ysursa, Secretary of State and Idaho Land Board Member
Tom Luna, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Idaho Land Board Member
Donna Jones, State Controller and Idaho Land Board Member
Arbor Day Poetry Presentation
Taft Elementary 5th Graders
Taft 5th Grade Teachers: Karen Abbott and Christianne Dunn
Arbor Day 2009 Poster Contest
Debbie Cook, Boise Urban Forestry
Contest Winners:
Jillian Orr, Gate City Elementary in Pocatello - 1st place,
Teacher: Sandy Katuin Parent: John & Staci Orr
Bridget Woodbury, Mackay Elementary - 2nd place
Riley Wilde, Seltice Elementary in Post Falls - 3rd place
Tree City USA Award
George Bacon, Idaho Department of Lands
Award Recipients: Caldwell , Nampa , Meridian , Kuna, Garden City, Eagle, Boise
Retrieving the Colors
2009 Arbor Day Tree Planting
This year’s tree, a kwanzan cherry, is planted in honor of Jillian Orr
Idaho’s 2009 Arbor Day Poster Contest Winner
Tree Walk
"Tree Walk" around Capitol Park -- Society of American Foresters
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Some very special poems from 5th grade students at Taft Elementary
Katie
Oh Tree, Oh Tree
You are the best tree
I would hate to see you go
Oh tree, oh tree,
Don’t go free
You are wonderful tree
Grow
Grow as high as the sky
Grow
Grow until you die |
Jamie
A tree that swayed so high
Like a bird in the sky
I love that grand old tree
I sat down to drink tea
Under that maple tree
I love that grand old tree
Oh How
Oh How
Oh How
Oh How
How I love that grand old tree’
Where I sit to drink my tea |
Garrett
I’ve just been planted snug in the ground so I wish I could turn around.
I watch the children playing joyfully
I wish I could play with them
A squirrel climbs up me and scratches me joyfully |
Tori
Trees are beautiful, yes they are
They’re even more beautiful when you’re in a car
Trees are beautiful for their colors
All people love them, especially mothers.
Trees are cool because they are tall
When the birds are in them you hear them call
Trees can get So So tall
You can see the birds, you can see it all
Trees are so cool because they are high
When you are in them you can touch the sky
Oh my, oh my
I love that tree |
Brett
As I walk through the forest
The great big redwoods seem to chorus
In howls and growls
And the wind whistles and the needles drop like missiles
The redwoods being so grand
I walk through this mighty forest
In which these friendly giants are spanned
And I wish my journey would never end
Buit I do not have any time to lend. |
Rachel
The most magnificent tree I’ve ever seen
Was big, was tall
With a smell of maple
It’s planted way out there in that meadow of ours.
It’s great for a tire swing, nerf wars, and hiding when sad.
That most magnificent tree that I’ve ever seen |
Nick D.
By the pond lays a plum tree
This is the last tree and in it the last beehive.
Barely surviving, the tree holds strong, but one day a plum fell in a hole
And no one saw it again
No fruit left, the tree bare and the bees had trouble finding food.
Suddenly out of the ground burst a sapling.
The bees buzzing for joy as the earth was reviving itself. |
John S.
The Cherry Blossom Tree in Tokyo
As I walk through the streets of the Tokyo City ,
The last think I see is very pretty
The Cherry Blossom Tree
Next to a shimmering beautiful pond,
It stands with all beyond
The Cherry Blossom Tree
The next time I visit,
Or when I see it,
I will always think
Of the first time I did sink,
Within the Cherry Blossom Tree. |
Abdi
The Life of a Coconut Tree
Faraway in the country
Near an old barn, with animals,
Sits a coconut tree
That can tell a real good yarn.
First I grow big and enormous
Says he, that grand old coconut tree
When those bright coconuts began to grow,
I was happy to have something to share.
During a huge storm
As my coconuts bounced away,
And all my branches began to sway
I wished for a wind that was warm
As I see the new saplings sprouting nearby,
I was happy to see good friends
Wish me a happy good-bye. |
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Arbor Day is Friday, April 30, 2010
CELEBRATE ARBOR DAY - and the miracle of Idaho's working forests! Arbor Day is a special holiday to plant trees and appreciate all the things trees give us.
Join the celebration and plant a tree. Pick up your free blue spruce seedling on Friday April 24th at any Kinkos in Idaho or Pullman, WA or Home Depot in Idaho, Spokane WA or Ontario, OR., compliments of the Idaho Forest Products Commission. Questions about Arbor Day in Idaho? Call 208/334-3292 or email ifpc@idahoforests.org
Arbor Day is a great time to
think about trees and
Idaho ’s forests.
The Roots of Arbor Day
Arbor Day was the idea of J. Sterling Morton. In 1872, Morton helped start a new holiday in Nebraska dedicated to tree planting. It is estimated that more than one million trees were planted on the first Arbor Day.
Morton's idea quickly spread. Today, Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states and in many other countries. Actual dates of the event differ for each area depending on planting times. Idaho celebrates Arbor Day the last Friday of April each year, the same date as National Arbor Day.
"Other holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the future."
J. Sterling Morton
Good Things Happen
When You Plant Trees
| Trees: Nature's Brilliant Invention |
Trees are the earth’s oldest living organisms. They improve air and water quality; reduce heating and cooling costs; provide a cool and beautiful place to live, work and play; are a renewable source of fuel, shelter, food and other products and provide benefits that directly affect the economic, environmental and social health of Idaho’s people and the communities where they live.
One reason we harvest trees is that we all use forest products. Forest resources make up 47% of the total raw materials used in U. S. manufacturing. In fact, each year the average American uses the equivalent of a tree about 100’ tall and 18” in diameter. It’s a good thing that nearly 100% of a tree can be used to make wood and other forest products
| Has a Tree Touched Your Life Today? |
There am over 5,000 products come from trees. Some are obvious like the wood used to build our homes and furniture, or the paper in our books, bags, milk cartons, boxes and tissues. Other forest products aren't so easily recognized. Chemicals and other materials from trees are key ingredients in paint, varnish, adhesives, asphalt, artificial vanilla flavoring, cereals, chewing gum, hair spray, mouthwash, soaps and shampoos, tires and many, many other things -- even toothpaste.
Every American uses over a ton of wood each year! How many times will a tree touch your life today? |
Help Plant a Forest
When you buy an Idaho forest license plate a portion of the fee will go to help reforestation and education projects in Idaho. Forest plates are available for your car, truck or motor home at motor vehicle offices throughout the state. Forest plates can be purchased any time of the year, and make a great Arbor Day statement.
More information
Look to the FUTURE - Look to the FOREST
Idaho’s past and future is tied to the millions of acres of forests that cover the state. These forests are Idaho ’s legacy. They contribute to our state and our way of life.
We all benefit from the wood and paper products, clean water, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities Idaho ’s forests provide. In the future, we’ll look to our forests for even more: clean energy, new products, carbon storage, good jobs and a healthy environment. The challenge will be to keep our legacy healthy and productive through active forest management.
| Trees: Nature's Brilliant Invention |
Trees are the earth’s oldest living organisms. They improve air and water quality; reduce heating and cooling costs; provide a cool and beautiful place to live, work and play; are a renewable source of fuel, shelter, food and other products and provide benefits that directly affect the economic, environmental and social health of Idaho’s people and the communities where they live.
One reason we harvest trees is that we all use forest products. Forest resources make up 47% of the total raw materials used in U. S. manufacturing. In fact, each year the average American uses the equivalent of a tree about 100’ tall and 18" in diameter. It’s a good thing that nearly 100% of a tree can be used to make wood and other forest products.
Look to the FOREST
RENEWABLE. A renewable resource is a natural resource that can be re-grown, re-made or re-generated. When trees die or are harvested, others can be grown for the future. In Idaho , state law requires that a healthy, robust forest be quickly re-established following harvest.
SUSTAINABLE. Forests can be used and managed to meet our environmental, economic and social needs today while leaving the forests in a condition that allows future generations to meet their own needs. All Idaho forestland owners must comply with state and federal environmental laws that protect forest resources. Many forest owners also enroll in a voluntary certification system which provides consumers with a third-party verification of sustainable management practices.
DYNAMIC. Like people, trees are living things that are constantly moving through some part of their life cycle. Forests are dynamic and can never stay the same over time.
Working Forests are where trees
are continuously grown, harvested
and re-grown for the future.
JOBS: Working forests fuel Idaho ’s economy with wages, taxes and purchases from employees and businesses. Primary forest businesses directly provided 13,500 jobs in Idaho in 2008 and supported thousands of other related jobs in service and related businesses.
PRODUCTS: Idaho ’s working forests provide wood and paper products that are marketed and used throughout the world. In 2008, around $1.7 billion of Idaho wood and paper products were sold.
ENERGY: Wood building products are the best insulator against heat and cold that helps conserve energy and save on energy costs.
Biomass energy is a major product as most mills burn wood waste to generate heat and electricity for manufacturing. Thinning hazardous fuels in forests could provide electricity and help meet Idaho ’s growing energy needs. Woody biomass may be used in the future for bio-fuels and bio-products to replace fossil fuels.
ENVIRONMENT: Wood is the ultimate "green" product -- it’s renewable, sustainable, recyclable, grown locally, versatile, biodegradable and has a smaller energy, water and carbon life cycle footprint than other products.
CARBON AND FORESTS: Healthy forests soak up carbon dioxide as they grow. Trees and wood products store carbon over long periods of time. Carbon dioxide is released as trees die and decay. Wildfires also release a tremendous amount of carbon into the atmosphere when they burn. Active forest management can help. Thinning and harvesting help keep forests healthy, growing and resistant to insects, disease and fire.
Working forests hold great promise for Idaho ’s future -- clean energy, new products and jobs, carbon storage and a healthy environment for our children and their children.
Trees: Idaho ’s growing resource
Idaho’s forests are home to over 20 kinds of trees: "hardwoods" with broad leaves, "softwoods" with needles, "deciduous" trees that lose all their leaves each year, and "evergreen" trees that do not.
Species are used to make forest products in Idaho :
Lodgepole Pine
Western larch
Ponderosa pine
Grand fir
Subalpine fir
Western red cedar
Western hemlock
Douglas-fir
Englemann spruce
Mountain hemlock
Western white pine ( Idaho ’s state tree)
| Since 1951, timber harvested from state "endowment" forests have earned over $1 billion for public schools and institutions! |
The Idaho Forest is Big
Of the 53 million acres of land in Idaho , "forest land" covers 21 million acres including 17 million acres of that are productive "timberlands", that are generally available for timber harvest. Forest ownership is divided between federal and state government, private landowners and forest product businesses. Each owner has specific objectives that determine how the forest is managed.
Hundreds of products are made from
trees harvested in Idaho every year:
Lumber and other structural building products such as dimensional lumber, solid beams, laminated beams, shingles, joists, laminated veneer lumber, finger-jointed lumber and engineered wood products.
Millwork used for doors, windows, cabinets, furniture, siding, flooring, moldings, fencing, shipping pallets.
Panel products such as plywood, particleboard and hardboard.
Posts, poles and timbers such as utility poles, house logs, fence posts, pilings, treated timbers, cross-arms and railroad ties.
Wood composite products such as siding, roofing, medium-density fiberboard and molding.
Pulp and paper products from wood fiber including packaging for food and products, newsprint, bathroom and facial tissue and paper toweling.
Consider this...
Look to the Future, Look to the Forest
1. Arbor Day is a great time to think about trees and Idaho's forests.
2. Idaho's forests contribute to our state and our way of life.
3. Forests cover 21 million acres of Idaho, over 40% of the state.
4. Forests are renewable. When trees die or are harvested, others can be grown for the future.
5. Forests are sustainable. They can be managed to meet our needs today and not diminish future generations' opportunities to use forest resources.
6. Working forests are where trees are continuously grown, harvested and re-grown for the future.
7. We all benefit from the clean water, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities and protection from catastrophic wildfires that working forests provide.
8. Working forests fuel Idaho's economy with wages, taxes and purchases from employees and businesses. Forest businesses directly provided 13,500 jobs in Idaho in 2008 and supported thousands of other related jobs in service businesses.
9. Idaho's working forests provide wood and paper products that are marketed and used throughout the world. In 2008, around $1.7 billion of Idaho wood and paper products were sold.
10. Working forests hold great promise for Idaho's future - clean energy, new products and jobs, carbon storage and a healthy environment for our children and their children.
The HISTORY of ARBOR DAY...
The idea for Arbor Day originally came from Nebraska, where a lack of trees led to the founding of Arbor Day in the 1800s. Among pioneers moving ,into the Nebraska Territory in 1854 was J. Sterling Morton from Detroit. He and his wife were lovers of nature, and the home they established in Nebraska was quickly planted with trees shrubs and flowers. Morton was a journalist and soon became editor of Nebraska's first newspaper.
He spread agricultural information and his enthusiasm for trees to an equally enthusiastic audience. His fellow pioneers missed their trees. But, more importantly, trees were needed as windbreaks to keep soil in place, for fuel and building materials, and for shade from the hot sun. Morton advocated tree planting by individuals in his articles and editorials, and encouraged civic organizations and groups to join in. His prominence in the area increased, and he became secretary of the Nebraska Territory, which provided another opportunity to stress the value of trees.
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| J. Sterling Morton |
Arbor Day's Beginnings
On January 4, 1872, Morton proposed a tree-planting holiday to be called "Arbor Day" at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture. The date was set for April 10, 1872. Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for planting properly the largest number of trees on that day. It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day.
Arbor Day was officially proclaimed by the young state's Gov. Robert W. Furnas on March 12, 1874, and the day itself was observed April 10, 1874. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in Nebraska and April 22, Morton's birthday, was selected as the date for its permanent observance.
During the 1870's other states passed legislation to observe Arbor Day. Today the most common date for the state observances is the last Friday in April, and several U.S. presidents have proclaimed a national Arbor Day on that date. But a number of state Arbor Days are at other times to coincide with the best tree planting weather, from January and February in the south, to May in the far north.
A Proclamation
by President Theodore. Roosevelt, 1907:
To the School Children of the United States:
Arbor Day (which means simply "Tree Day") is now observed in every State in our Union and mainly in the schools. At various times from January to December, but chiefly in this month of. April, you give a day or part of a day to special exercises and perhaps to actual tree planting, in recognition of the importance of trees to us as a Nation, and of what they yield in adornment, comfort, and useful products to the communities in which you live.
It is well that you should celebrate your Arbor Day thoughtfully, for within your lifetime the Nation's need of trees will become serious. We of an older generation can get along without what we have, though With growing hardship; but in your full manhood and womanhood you will want what nature once so bountifully supplied, and man so thoughtlessly destroyed; and because of that want you will reproach us, not for what we have used, but for what we have wasted.
For the nation as for the man or woman, and the boy or girl, the road to success is the right use of what we have and the improvement of present opportunity. If you neglect to prepare yourselves not for the duties and responsibilities which will fall upon you later, if you do not learn the things which you will need to know when your school days are over, you will, suffer the consequences. So any nation which in its youth lives only for the day, reaps without sowing, and consumes without husbanding, must expect the penalty of the prodigal, whose labor could with difficulty find him the bare means of life.
A people without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as hopeless; forests which are so used that they can not renew themselves will soon vanish, and with them all their benefits. A true forest is not merely a storehouse full of wood, but, as it. were, a factory of wood, and at the same time a reservoir of water. When you help to preserve our forests or, to plant new ones you are acting the part of good citizens. The value of forestry deserves, therefore, to be taught in the schools, which aim to make good citizens of you. If your Arbor Day exercises help you to realize what benefits each one of you receives from the forests, and how by your assistance these benefits may continue, they will serve a good end.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
How to Save a Tree
by Betty J. Munis, Director, Idaho Forest Products Commission
Everywhere I turn, someone is telling me to "Save a Tree." I hear it from my banker, my insurance company, my computer, at the grocery store and the coffee shop. I hear it from the guy on TV promoting an Internet business, the news anchor reporting on how to save the planet, and from movie stars who like to talk about environmental issues.
This whole "Save a Tree" thing smacks on green-washing. They want us to see them as environmentally responsible and feel good about buying their product or idea. They want us to believe they care about forests and if we care too, we should "Save a Tree" by not using tree products.
But how does one really "Save a Tree"? Trees are living things with life spans. They sprout, grow, compete, mature, decline and die. To imply that you can "Save a Tree" by not using wood products is just wrong. It's a sound bite designed to make you feel guilty when trees are harvested for the products you use.
Trees are a great resource that should be used. They're renewable and can be sustainably managed. Healthy, growing trees take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Wood products hold carbon over long periods of time. They are energy efficient and can be reused and recycled. Trees help fuel our economy with wages, taxes and purchases from businesses and employees. Last year, trees provided 13,500 Idaho jobs, $1.7 billion worth of products, supported hundreds of service businesses and contributed nearly $30 million to our schools.
Moreover, trees are abundant and growing in Idaho. They cover 40 percent of the state which is more than 21 million acres! Idaho has millions of acres of wilderness and special areas off limits to logging. We also have some of the most productive forestland in the nation. Where it makes sense, we should harvest use and replant trees.
If you care about the environment and want trees around in the future, you should support harvesting trees, using wood and paper products, and replanting trees for the future. You should buy tree products from places like Idaho where laws protect the environment and require reforestation when trees are harvested. You should support the professional people that work in Idaho's forest products businesses. They, too, care about the forest.
Idaho loggers, millworkers, truckers, manufacturers, foresters and forest landowners are part of a sustainable business that keep forests working and growing. What they do to helps ensures that forests remain places that support wildlife, provide clean air and water, sequester carbon and contribute to Idaho's economy rather than being converted to other uses.
What else can you do? Encourage your kids to look into natural resource careers. We need their bright minds and talents to meet future challenges. Support using Idaho wood products in local buildings and bridges. Learn more about our amazing forests and support forest education and research.
And the next time someone tells you to "Save a Tree" by not use wood products, be bold and ask them "Why?" Explain that not using forest resources is a lose-lose deal for Idaho. We'll lose the environmental and economic benefits of producing forest products. We'll lose forestland to other uses and reduce our opportunities to enjoy these special places. We'll pay more to fight wildfires in overcrowded forests. We'll miss out on the tremendous opportunities renewable trees hold for the future.
We must make thoughtful choices because not using trees won't save trees. Instead, "Save a Tree" using trees, replanting trees and keeping working forests working.
Keep Working Forests Working
by Betty J. Munis, Director, Idaho Forest Products Commission
Forests are just one of the things that make the northwest such a unique and special place. But they're an important one. Forests are where we go to hike, hunt and fish, to view wildlife, find mushrooms or huckleberries and just take a break from our hectic lives to enjoy nature. They are also the workplace for thousands of loggers, foresters and resource managers that help provide wood and paper products. While we live in the northwest, we are a part of a global community. If you care about the northwest and the environment, you should support working forests in your own back yard.
While 40% of Idaho is covered in trees, not all forests are managed in the same way. National Forests, state parks, endowment lands, tribal lands, family and individual forest landowners, tree farmers and forest companies care for their forests in different ways to meet their own unique objectives. "Working forests" are managed to grow healthy trees that will be harvested for wood and paper products. But these forests provide much more than that. Working forests help both the environment and Idaho's economy in very big ways.
Forests, carbon and climate change are related. Increases in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere lead to higher air temperatures. Forests absorb carbon dioxide and reduce its presence in the atmosphere. Growing trees turn water, sunlight and carbon dioxide into oxygen and solid carbon. Trees will continue to store huge amounts of carbon over time as will wood products. Keeping forest lands in forest uses is crucial to capturing and storing carbon in the future. A warmer climate makes dense, overstocked forests even more vulnerable to wildfires which release huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.
Wood is good to use. Wood is a renewable resource that is both recyclable and biodegradable. Wood building products require fewer non-renewable fossil fuels and less energy to produce than alternative materials. Wood is the best insulator against heat and cold, which makes it the most energy-efficient material that can help contain energy costs.
By keeping Idaho's working forests working, we support sustainable forestry and protect forest resources. Water, soils and wildlife habitat are protected and logged areas are reforested when we harvest trees in Idaho - it's the law. This isn't the case in many areas of the world that don't protect their forest resources, allow deforestation and look the other way when it comes to illegal logging. Buying wood and paper products from unprotected and unsustainable sources is environmentally irresponsible.
Logging is essential to have the wood and paper products we all use, to thin overcrowded forests and remove diseased and unhealthy trees. How, when and where we log is the question. Idaho is home to many professional loggers, foresters and resource managers who care deeply about the woods and work hard to do the right thing, follow the laws and protect the future of this great resource.
Working forests are the root of nearly 15,000 Idaho jobs and $1.7 billion of products made in the state last year. They endow our public schools and institutions with millions of dollars each year. Carbon trading is already well established in Europe and underway in the U.S. Carbon trading could be a tremendous economic opportunity for Idaho where forests are abundant.
It is important that look beyond the current lull in the lumber market to see the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead for Idaho's working forests - but only if we keep them working.
We see a Future in Trees
by Betty J. Munis, Director, Idaho Forest Products Commission
The last Friday in April marks Arbor Day. A special holiday set aside to appreciate trees and all the great things they provide. Trees and forests are a big part of what makes Idaho a special place. They provide fish and wildlife habitat, clean water and special places for us to enjoy. Trees are also one of Idaho 's greatest assets. The 16.8 million acres of timberland in Idaho contain billions of dollars in natural resources that continue to grow every year.
Harvesting trees in Idaho is good for Idaho . Timber harvest provides jobs to around 15,000 Idahoans and produces nearly $2 billion worth of high quality products each year that are sold throughout the world. These are dollars that return to Idaho businesses which in turn pay taxes, support communities and provide local employment opportunities. And trees harvested on state forest lands contributed more than $40 million to public schools and institutions last year.
But the story doesn't end with just the economics. Harvesting trees in Idaho is good for the environment. We all use wood and paper products and trees must be harvested somewhere to meet the demand we create. Most of us don't often consider the source of the products we purchase. Where do the raw materials come from and how they are produced? And what about the energy used to produce and transport products to us? When trees are harvested in Idaho , there are checks and balances to assure that the environment is protected and that reforestation will occur. Laws that protect the water, wildlife and air we all share. Modern equipment implements technologies that are light on the land and minimize environmental impacts.
Harvesting and replanting also leads to healthy growing forests that produce oxygen and store carbon. In fact, the future may find growing forests as one of the key solutions to the concerns over global warming. The call to "think globally, act locally" resonates the need to support local businesses, employ local people and use resources in the best possible way.
There's a lot of interest in producing products in a "sustainable" way. This means managing resources in a way that meets our resource needs and values in a way that does not compromise the capability to do so in the future. In the case of forestry, it's not just a buzzword. There are programs in place to certify forest products as sustainable by providing third-party verification of sustainable practices.
There is a bright future in trees. With millions of acres of trees, Idaho is well positioned to take part in that future. In today's global market, products need to make "sense" and "cents." Research in new products such as bio-composites, engineered wood products, fuel cells, water filtering systems, biomass for energy and nanotechnology present limitless opportunities for new uses of wood. New markets for carbon credits are creating unprecedented marketing opportunities.
These are some of the reasons the Idaho Forest Products Commission is sponsoring a statewide Arbor Day celebration and giving away 28,000 seedlings throughout the state. But maybe the best reason is that planting a tree is a wish for tomorrow that you make today. Use a tree. Plant a tree. Grow a tree. Happy Arbor Day.
What Does Arbor Day Mean?
Arbor Day is celebrated the last Friday in April each year. It’s a special holiday that has been around for well over a century, a time to plant trees and consider all the things that trees provide for us, our communities and our world.
J. Sterling Morton was a man who loved trees. Morton also knew trees could help beautify his state, create windbreaks and stabilize the soil in farming communities. And so, in 1874 he created the very first Arbor Day in Nebraska.
Arbor Day has endured the test of time. One hundred and thirty two years later, Arbor Day is stronger than ever. And with good reason. People love trees. Trees enrich our lives. They provide beautiful places for inspiration and reflection in our hectic lives. Trees and forests provide homes for wildlife and a filtering and holding system for our clean, precious water. Trees also provide us with products we use every day including the obvious items such as wood and paper and the not-so-obvious things like photographic film, steering wheels, ice cream and toothbrushes that are made with products that come from trees. Trees are beautiful, usable and renewable.
But what does Arbor Day really mean to people in Idaho, where forty percent of the state is covered in trees? Arbor Day means different things to different people. To those who work in tree nurseries, Arbor Day celebrates what they do every day - grow trees. Idaho is home to two Forest Service nurseries that grow trees for national forests from New Mexico to the Canadian border. The University of Idaho helped find a way to grow Western White pine seedlings that were naturally resistant to the devastating blister rust disease that has been a plague to our state tree. And private nurseries across the region grow thousands of seedlings each year to renew our forests after harvest and fire.
To foresters, Arbor Day is a time to reflect on what they do throughout the year - grow and harvest forests. My husband is a forester. Not so long ago, we drove by an area that had been recently harvested. While I could only see the results of the harvest - the lack of large trees, he smiled and told me to look closer. Sure enough, hundreds of healthy, young seedlings, their bright green shoots poking up out of the ground, were beginning a whole new forest cycle.
To loggers and folks that haul logs and wood products, Arbor Day is a reminder that this renewable resource can provide good jobs that keep their rural communities alive and working. To the sawmills and businesses that produce lumber, plywood, trusses, windows, paper and more, Arbor Day is a time to appreciate knowing that their living and their products come from a sustainable natural resource. Nearly 15,000 Idahoans work in forest businesses and produce around $2 billion in wood products each year. These hard-working people provide an essential service to everyone that uses wood and paper products. Like farmers and ranchers, they are often under appreciated for their role in providing the things we all use every day but rarely consider their source.
For firefighters, Arbor Day is a time to reflect on the miracle of forests that can be so deadly when engulfed in flames. So quiet and desolate when the embers give way to burned logs and charred soil. So miraculous in their ability to renew themselves and to grow again.
For children, Arbor Day is a time to plant something that can grow with them. For adults, Arbor Day is an opportunity to beautify their communities and mark life’s special celebrations. For grandparents, Arbor Day is a way to leave a legacy which will remain long after they’ve departed.
Betty J. Munis is Director of the Idaho Forest Products Commission. On Arbor Day, the Commission is sponsoring a statewide celebration and giving away blue spruce seedlings at all Home Depot and Kinko’s throughout the state.
ARBOR DAY POSTER CONTEST...
The 2008 poster theme:
Why does an old man plant a tree?
by Robert H Mealey
My friends quite often ask of me,
Why does an old man plant a tree?
It grows so slow it will not pay,
A profit for you anyway.
Then why in storm and winter cold,
Do you plant when you are so old?
The answer seems hard to define,
When muscles ache and they are mine.
But I just cannot stand to see,
A space where there should be a tree.
So that in part as years unfold,
Is why I plant when I'm so old.
I know that animals, bugs and things,
Love trees, and so do such as go on wings.
So creatures wild that benefit,
Is one more reason I can't quit
From planting trees while I can hold,
My planting hoe, though I'm so old.
They say that those retired from labor,
Should fish and play and talk to neighbor.
They say also that folks in leisure,
Should do the things which give them pleasure.
And so the thought on which I'm sold,
I'll plant some trees though I'm so old.
As time goes on my trees will grow.
So tall and clean and row on row.
The furry folk will have a home,
The birds can nest, and kids can roam.
And all of this as I have told,
I planted trees though I'm so old.
And then there is my family,
Young folks who will follow me.
I'd like to leave them with some land,
Stocked with trees and looking grand.
These gifts I value more than gold,
So I plant some trees though I'm so old.
And taxes too for schools and roads,
With jobs and lumber for abodes.
I won't see these things, I won't be here.
But to my mind it's very clear.
The words of some who could be polled,
Might thank a man who is so old.
Man should be proud of what's his own,
And how he's managed what he's grown.
But management must be begun,
By planting seedlings one by one.
And so my pride I shall uphold,
I'll plant some trees though I'm so old.
So when my friends ask of me,
Why does and old man plant a tree?
Perhaps the lines above explain,
How aching back and limbs in pain,
May by commitment be controlled,
To plant my trees though I'm so old.
Ten Things You Can Do to Celebrate Arbor Day:
Teachers:
Ten Things YOU and your students
can do to Celebrate Trees!
| 1 |
Language Arts--Imagine the most beautiful tree in the world. Think about how it would look, where it would grow, what you would say to it. Share your ideas through stories and drawings. |
6 |
Geography--Dissect a candy bar to identify tree products (nuts, cocoa, coconut, wrapper). Map their possible origins. Show how people depend on forests for food, shelter, and livelihood. |
| 2 |
Science--Plant and study tree seeds, record germination rates, and grow seedlings. Give as Mother's Day gifts! |
7 |
Science--Identify ten different trees by leaves, bark, shape, wood, etc. Sample tree products: maple syrup, apples, nuts. Determine which tree parts you're eating. |
| 3 |
Art--Make wooden bird houses, feeders or jewelry. Create handmade paper greeting cards. Design creatures from cones, twigs and other tree parts. |
8 |
Math--Explore how much wood is used to produce an issue of your favorite comic book or newspaper. Investigate rates of recycling and reforestation. Graph your data. |
| 4 |
Geography--Map the vegetation around your school grounds. Conduct a tree planting project. |
9 |
Social Studies/Language Arts--Interview people of many ages to learn how trees touch their lives.
Write an article or letter to the editor of your local or school newspaper sharing your findings. |
| 5 |
Art--Design a T-shirt with a forest theme. Invite a local reporter to photograph your class in the T-shirts. |
10 |
Science--Keep a log of how wildlife use your neighborhood trees. Describe the animals (insects, too!) and how they use flowers, leaves, limbs, seeds and bark. Surprises await you! |
Tips on Planting Trees
Before you dig, do your homework. Anyone can dig a hole and "plant"
a tree, but you want the tree to survive. Ask yourself if this is the RIGHT
TREE and is this the RIGHT PLACE?
There are hundreds-even thousands--of different kinds of trees that you
can select to plant. Check with your local nursery, certified landscaper,
garden club, or city forester for a list of the trees that will provide
all the characteristics you desire (size, shape, colors, flowers, hardiness,
growth rate, etc.) and grow best in the spot you select. Be sure to check
the soil conditions, drainage, and how much water and sunlight the tree
will need. Try to anticipate how large the tree might grow in the future
and allow plenty of room for this expansion. This simple exercise will improve
your long- term chance of success. It is also a wonderful way to integrate
key science concepts and processes (change, cycles, predicting, collecting
and analyzing data) into your Arbor Week activities. You can buy a tree
from a local nursery (or mail order catalog), or ask them to make a donation.
Beware: Many government agencies, businesses, and community groups give
away tree seeds and small seedlings, but these "free" trees may
not be the RIGHT TREE for your particular planting spot. Also, bigger trees,
when planted property, usually have a better chance of surviving then small
ones. HELPFUL HINT: Plant the biggest trees you can!
- To find a good spot at school, check with your superintendent and landscape
crew.
- To find a good spot in town, check with your city forester or local
park director.
- Always check with your utility companies! (Overhead wires? Underground
pipes & cables?)
If a good location can not be found, don't panic! Plant your trees in
large pots or containers. Place the trees outdoors on the patio, in the
courtyard, near a window, or along the sidewalk or driveway. (Don't forget
to check on the trees regularly)
Arbor Day  Scavenger Hunt
Use your senses to find and check off each item. Happy hunting!
A tree younger than you
An insect on a tree
A songbird in a tree
A bird's nest in a tree (don't disturb it!)
A twig with a "face"
An animal's home in a tree
A tree shaped like a triangle
A tree that's changed something
A stump telling a tree's history |
Dried tree"blood" (sap)
Last year's leaf still on a tree
Three leaves with different shades of green
A partially eaten seed cone
A tree with a healed injury
A tree that could use your help
A tree three times as tall as you
A seedling just sprouting near an older tree
Five things you've used today that have come from trees |
Get Your 2009 Arbor Day T-Shirt SOLD OUT
Click here for Arbor Day Trivia!
Click here for Trees from A to Z Word Puzzle
Other Arbor Day Sites:
www.arborday.org/
www.nebraskacity.com/
 
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