The "Plant A Tree For Me!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The last Friday in April and it's Arbor Day.  The very first Arbor Day was held in the small Spanish village of Mondonedo in 1595.  The first documented arbor plantation festival in the world was organized by the Mayor of Mondenedo and today the town is still covered with lime and horse-chestnut trees.  A small granite marker and bronze plate still mark the event.  210 years later the first modern Arbor Day was held in the small Spanish village of Villanueva de la Sierra by the local priest who was assisted by the entire population of the village.  

Children planting trees in 1800.

The first American Arbor Day originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska by J. Sterling Morton on April 10, 1872 when close to 1,000,000 trees were planted in Nebraska.  Then in the early 1900s Major Israel McCreight of DuBois, Pennsylvania said that President Theodore Roosevelt's conservation speeches were limited to those in the lumber industry and recommended a campaign of youth education on conservation.  

Mr. Julius Sterling Morton.

Mr. McCreight urged President Roosevelt to speak to school children about the destruction of American forests.  Conserva- tionist Gifford Pinchot who was the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service also asked the President to speak to public school children about conservation.  On April 15, 1907, President Roosevelt issued an Arbor Day Proclamation to the school children of the United States about the importance of trees and that forestry should be taught in U.S. schools.  So, what do you do to celebrate Arbor Day?  Plant a tree?  Did you know that one large tree can provide a day's supply of oxygen for up to four people.  Did you also know that 20% of the world's oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest.   And, did you know that carefully positioning trees around your home can reduce a household's energy consumption for heating and cooling by up to 25%.  

Trees, the lifeblood of the world.

This past Wednesday in my Lancaster morning newspaper was a story about a new program that will plant 10,000,000 new trees in Pennsyl- vania over the next seven years with Lancaster County being the epicenter for the project.  In the past I have mentioned that Lancaster County is known as the "Garden Spot of America" and this is one more example of why it is known as such.  The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership is being called one of the most ambitious environmental restoration efforts in state history.  Many of the trees will be planted to establish buffer strips along farmland streams to reduce runoff as well as along urban streets to stem stormwater flooding.  Pennsylvania is allocating $800,000 to get the program started.  The kickoff to the campaign was held in Lancaster, since Lancaster County has been cited as one of the major reasons for soil and nutrient farm runoff which is affecting the nearby Chesapeake Bay.  Nutrients spur algae that rob the water of oxygen needed for aquatic life.  The trees may help curb that runoff.  I'm not sure if the announcement of the tree plantings had anything to due with Arbor Day, but it looks as if it was coordinated to fall at the same time.  Well, I hope you enjoy your Arbor Day and maybe plant just a flower or so if you don't plan to plant a new tree in your yard or along your front curb.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.