July 2010
2 posts
Nature Is All Around You
If you like picturesque nature scenes, you’re going to love the winning photo in the first Arbor Day Foundation Give-A-Tree Card Photo Contest.
Bellvue, Colo., resident Candace McMahan’s photo of a river birch tree along the banks of the Connecticut River near Lyme, N.H., was the photo that caught the attention of the judges. McMahan captured the scene while she was visiting the area to attend her...
Steamboat Springs' Lorax
Here’s an interesting story about the city arborist in Steamboat Springs, Colo.: http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2010/jul/06/locals-2010-george-hine/.
It’s great that there are people like George Hine in the world who diligently work to care for and protect our trees!
April 2010
2 posts
It's Arbor Day -- Plant Trees!
Happy Arbor Day everyone!
Today’s a great day to plant trees. If you planted a tree (or many trees) today, tell us about it.
Did you ever wonder about the benefits trees give us? Here’s a cool new application available at arborday.org that lets you see how your trees are impacting the environment and your wallet. It’s called the National Tree Benefits Calculator and it’s available at...
Alabama Fifth-Grader Wins Arbor Day National...
Congratulations to Wyatt Dunn of Huntsville, Ala., for winning the 2010 Arbor Day National Poster Contest.
Wyatt’s winning poster was selected to be the best out of all the finalists from 46 states and the District of Columbia. More than 70,000 fifth-graders entered the poster contest this year.
The theme of the poster contest was “Trees are Terrific … and Energy Wise,”...
March 2010
1 post
Arbor Day Foundation, AT&T Partner to Plant Up to...
Here’s a really great promotion that will plant up to 1 million trees. AT&T is teaming up with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees in our nation’s forests. AT&T is making a donation of one tree for each customer who opts for paperless billing in 2010.
So, if you’re a customer of AT&T, visit www.att.com/paperfree, sign up for paperless billing and AT&T will plant a tree in...
February 2010
1 post
Plant Trees to Celebrate the Centennial Year of...
Help the Boy Scouts celebrate its 100th anniversary by planting trees.
The Boy Scouts of America was founded 100 years ago today, and ever since the organization has built character and values-based leadership qualities in America’s youths. The Scouts have also taught countless boys solid conservation practices.
You can take part in the celebration through the purchase of a Boy Scouts Centennial...
October 2009
1 post
Planting Trees on College Campuses
College students are helping us plant trees across the country through the Tree Campus USA fall events.
For the second straight year, we’ve teamed up with Toyota to plant trees at colleges and universities throughout the United States. This fall, we’re planting trees at the University of Maryland, Duke University, Cornell University, Tulane University and the University of Washington.
The goal...
September 2009
2 posts
Help Preserve the World’s Rain Forests
We’ve seen a report that logging rates in the Amazon rain forest have dropped 46 percent last year. But there is also satellite data available that claims deforested areas in the area increased 160 percent from the previous year.
In other words, it’s still vital to protect the Earth’s rain forests. The benefits they provide are so enormous, from medicines to wildlife habitat to their ability to...
West Coast Fire Season Starts with a Big Blaze
California is no stranger to wildfires, but typically the big blazes are pushed by the arrival of the Santa Ana winds in the fall. This year’s first major fire of the season, the Station Fire in Angeles National Forest north of Los Angeles, could end up being one of the largest in California history.
With the blaze only 28 percent contained, already more than 150,000 acres have been burned and...
August 2009
2 posts
What Tree Is That? to Be Featured on KSFO Radio
The Arbor Day Foundation’s Ben Cohoon will be a guest on KSFO AM Sunday morning, Aug. 23, to discuss the Foundation’s new tree identification guidebook, What Tree Is That?
Cohoon will appear on KSFO’s popular show, “Bob Tanem in the Garden,” which airs Sundays from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. PDT.
What Tree Is That?: A guide to the more common trees of North America, is an ideal resource to help people...
Arbor Day Specialty Coffee Earns Top Honor
Want a cup of the best-tasting, shade-grown coffee in North America? Then try the Arbor Day Foundation’s Fair Trade, organic coffee that’s grown under the canopy of the rain forest.
Don’t just take our word for it. Coffee Review, an independent coffee judge and considered the world’s leading coffee buying guide, awarded a superb score to Arbor Day Specialty Coffee in the August Cupping. No other...
July 2009
2 posts
Arbor Day Foundation in Better Homes and Gardens
Be sure to check out the August 2009 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. The issue includes a story about how shade trees can lower energy bills and features the advice from the Arbor Day Foundation and Scott Maco, a research urban forester with Davey Tree Institute.
Properly placed trees, once they mature, can reduce air-conditioning needs by as much as 30 percent, and heating needs by as much as...
Our Forests Need Your Help
Pretty soon, wild fire season will be upon us. Many Americans in several states will likely deal with devastating fires this summer, and it will last into the fall months.
Wild fire is inevitable. It’s a natural phenomenon that clears out underbrush, restores nutrients to the soil and in some cases allows trees to regenerate naturally.
But fire is also destroying majestic trees as never before.
In...
June 2009
2 posts
Artisan Woods now at Arbor Day Farm’s Tree...
Be sure and check out Artisan Woods, the new attraction at Arbor Day Farm’s Tree Adventure this summer.
Artisan Woods is an outdoor showcase of nature-inspired structures and art that are on display along the Tree House Trail. You’ll see trees and nature in an enjoyable, interactive way as you walk through a limb made of lathes from hardwood trees, see a sprout from a giant acorn, explore a...
‘Exploring Trees Inside and Out’ Traveling Exhibit...
Looking for a cool, family friendly activity to do in Georgia this summer? Then be sure to check out the Nature Explore Traveling Exhibit, “Exploring Trees Inside and Out,” at Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta.
The traveling exhibit, presented by Doubletree Hotels, the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation, recently opened at Imagine It!, and will be at the...
May 2009
1 post
Milestone planting for Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium
The Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium recently planted an acre of second-generation hazelnuts at the Horning State Farm near Plattsmouth, Neb. The Arbor Day Foundation, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Rutgers University and Oregon State University are members of the consortium.
The planting was a significant milestone for the consortium in that it represents more than 10 years of research from each...
April 2009
4 posts
Happy Arbor Day!
Today’s the big day! Go outside. Explore nature. Plant trees.
Arbor Day is the day to celebrate trees. Many communities throughout the country will be planting trees on today in observance of Arbor Day 2009. Trees help make our communities healthier, more vibrant and, obviously, more beautiful.
Arbor Day began 137 years ago in Nebraska City, Neb. J. Sterling Morton, the father of Arbor Day,...
Hardiness Zones
Tom Christopher of the New York Botanical Garden writes an interesting blog called Green Perspectives. Recently, he shared some of his thoughts on hardiness zone maps. You can read about them here: http://www.nybg.org/wordpress2/?p=215.
What Tree Is That? Now Available
Ever wonder what species of tree is growing in your backyard? Or have you ever walked by a beautiful tree in your neighborhood, at a park or on the golf course and wanted to know what you’re looking at?
Now you can, thanks to the new tree identification book, What Tree Is That?: A guide to the more common trees of North America. The book is published by the Arbor Day Foundation, and is an ideal...
Trees for Success
The 2009 Trees for Success campaign kicked off this week with tree-planting events in Houston; Austin, Texas; and Nashville.
Only 13 cities across the United States were selected to receive trees during the Trees for Success campaign, which is a partnership between the Arbor Day Foundation and The Home Depot Foundation. During the campaign, more than 1,000 trees will be planted in schools,...
March 2009
2 posts
Vote Online for Your Favorite Arbor Day Poster
Don’t forget to vote … in the 2009 National Arbor Day Poster Contest! For the first time, you can help select a finalist for the National Arbor Day Poster Contest presented by Toyota.
Online voting for the poster contest begins Monday, March 30, at www.arborday.org/postercontest. The online voting period will end on Friday, April 3. The poster that receives the most online votes will automatically...
Re-Greening Louisiana
The Resurrection Project, a collaborative hurricane recovery organization dedicated to rebuilding communities and re-greening Louisiana, distributed 25,000 free trees this month to residents in south Louisiana. The trees will help residents replace those lost during recent hurricanes.
Residents were able to receive live oaks, red oaks, red maples and bald cypress trees, which are all native to...
February 2009
2 posts
Celebrating Arbor Day in Georgia
Last Friday, tree planters across Georgia gathered to celebrate trees on Georgia’s state Arbor Day. We’ll share photos as they arrive from around the state, but here are shots from a couple of cities to start:
In Toccoa, Boy Scouts held a tree planting event for the community in celebration of Arbor Day.
Special Events Coordinator Sharon Crosby says the scouts plan to work with...
Happy Arbor Day, Georgia!
As Georgia wraps up its Arbor Day celebrations — which will continue into the weekend in many places — look forward soon to some great photos from tree planting events and Tree City USA presentations held across the Peach State.
January 2009
2 posts
5 tags
New life at Plumas National Forest
In 2007, Plumas National Forest in Northern California was besieged by devastating wildfire. By the time more than 2,000 firefighters could contain the massive blaze, thousands of acres of forest had burned.
Recently, the Arbor Day Foundation partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to help in the replanting of these trees.
Linda Smith, a district culturist at Plumas, is charged with overseeing...
December 2008
3 posts
Plant a tree for the holidays with DoubleTree! →
DoubleTree Hotels launched this flash game online last week; help your tree grow taller by protecting it from fire, pollution and other causes of deforestation. Every time you play, a tree will be planted by DoubleTree and the Arbor Day Foundation!
New plans for downtown trees in Minneapolis
From MinnPost.com, this story is a really interesting look at the usefulness of community trees; in Minneapolis, officials are following the lead of other large towns and cities across America to add new trees downtown.
In the top photo (a shot of busy Michigan Avenue in Chicago), we see how trees on some of the busiest downtown streets beautify the city, save energy, and help add vitality to the...
November 2008
2 posts
LJS: Morton Statue Will Greet U.S. Capitol...
From a recent issue of the Lincoln Journal Star comes a report that a bronze statue of J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day, will stand in the new Capitol Visitor Center in Washington:
BY ASTRID MUNN / For the Lincoln Journal Star WASHINGTON — A bronze statue of Nebraska’s Julius Sterling Morton — founder of Arbor Day — will be one of the first figures greeting the public when the Capitol...
Tree Planting at Jackson State University
Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi was the site of the fourth event on the National Tree Planting Campaign, which kicks off the Arbor Day Foundation’s newest initiative, Tree Campus USA.
October 28 was perfect for planting trees—sunny, cool, and full of energy from students ready to make their mark on campus.
We opened the event with presentations from Arbor Day Foundation,...
October 2008
3 posts
Another successful Tree Campus kickoff: VTU
This fall, the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota are visiting college and university campuses across the United States to kick off Tree Campus USA, a new program designed to engage students and their host communities to establish and sustain healthy community forests. This week, Arbor Day program assistant Mary Widhelm reports on the tree planting kickoff at Virginia Tech University.
Well we had...
Tree Campus USA Tour: Northern Kentucky University
This fall, the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota are visiting college and university campuses across the United States to kick off Tree Campus USA, a new program designed to engage students and their host communities to establish and sustain healthy community forests. Today, Arbor Day program director Michelle Scribner reports on the first kickoff event last week, at Northern Kentucky...
Kicking Off the Tree Campus USA Planting Tour
Beginning this Thursday, October 16th, the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with Toyota Motor North America, Inc. will kick off its Tree Campus USA Tree Planting Tour with the first celebration taking place at Northern Kentucky University.
Over 75 universities applied to be a part of this campaign and only 9 were selected to receive up to 100 trees each to plant on their campuses this fall. ...
September 2008
2 posts
20 Years After Yellowstone: Share Your Stories
Twenty years ago this month, devastating fire burned through 1.2 million acres of Yellowstone National Park in 1988.
For many Americans, especially friends and supporters of the Arbor Day Foundation, the fires truly “hit home.”
According to John Rosenow, here in Lincoln, Nebraska (over 500 miles away from Yellowstone), smoke from the fires even had a noticeable affect on our sunsets....
"Bumper Crop" of Apples at Arbor Day Farm
With Apple Jack Weekend fast approaching in Nebraska City, good news this weekend from Arbor Day Farm: Nebraska City’s famous apple crop is outstanding this year.
Apple Jack Weekend is an exciting time at Arbor Day Farm, but it’s just one example of the fun to be had as trees across the nation turn wonderful colors and give us new perspective on nature’s beauty.
Here’s to...
August 2008
2 posts
NYT: Advocating an Unusual Role for Trees →
From the Tuesday, August 12 New York Times: An excellent story highlighting the diversity of our trees, and the ongoing search for more ways in which they can work to improve our quality of life.
MERRICKVILLE, Ontario — Diana Beresford-Kroeger pointed to a towering wafer ash tree near her home.
The tree is a chemical factory, she explained, and its products are part of a sophisticated survival...
USA Today's Stunning Photography of California...
In the midst of all this replanting (we’re past the spring planting season, after all, and you can’t help but think about the thousands of trees our supporters have put in the ground in 2008), it can be easy to forget the magnitude of the problem we’re up against.
It’s tough to put the devastation caused by wildfire into words.
A photo gallery published this week by USA Today, mainly...
July 2008
3 posts
Reconnecting Children with Nature in Nebraska City
Last week’s Working Forum on Nature Education for Young Children at Arbor Day Farm couldn’t have been more exciting, or more inspiring.
You see, as part of our ongoing mission to plant more trees, the Arbor Day Foundation also works every day to find ways in which we can inspire that next generation of tree planters and environmental stewards. Teaching young children about nature in meaningful...
Launching the Arbor Day Blog!
Today we launch a special new project at the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Blog. As you well know, the Arbor Day Foundation works every day to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. Our members, all of you, will enable the planting of over 12 million trees in 2008 - more than 12 million trees to beautify urban neighborhoods, to replenish our nation’s forests, to clean...