Arbor Day Blog

Plant Trees to Celebrate the Centennial Year of the Boy Scouts

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:32:36 -0600

Help the Boy Scouts celebrate its 100^th 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 Tree at www.arborday.org/boyscouts. For each newly purchased Boy Scouts tree, the Arbor Day Foundation and the Boy Scouts of America will plant another tree in the Flathead National Forest.

Get your Boy Scouts tree today and make a positive impact at home and in Montana’s Flathead National Forest.

Planting Trees on College Campuses

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:49:23 -0500

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 of the Tree Campus USA program is to recognize colleges and universities that practice sound campus forestry. Last year, the Foundation honored 29 colleges and universities that met the program’s standards.

Want to see if you’re school is a Tree Campus USA? Visit www.arborday.org/treecampusUSA.

Help Preserve the World’s Rain Forests

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:46:48 -0500

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 moderate the planet’s temperatures.

Here are two easy ways you can help. First, join the Arbor Day Foundation and designate the cost of your membership to the Rain Forest Rescue program. For every $10 you contribute, you will help preserve 2,500 square feet of the rain forests of Mexico and Central America.

You can also switch to Arbor Day Specialty Coffee, the proceeds of which go to help preserve the rain forests. The Foundation’s fair-trade, organic coffee is grown under the canopy of the rain forest is fair-trade.

Since 1992, more than 2 billion square feet of the world’s rain forests have been preserved through the Foundation’s Rain Forest Rescue program.

Help preserve the rain forest today!

West Coast Fire Season Starts with a Big Blaze

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:58:15 -0500

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 many homes damaged or destroyed.

Reports claim that the Station Fire is burning with intense heat. If that continues, regeneration may not take place in the fire’s aftermath inside the Angeles National Forest. Some trees, such as a few species of pines, only regenerate with the help of fire. Fire opens the trees’ seed source, and allows the seed to be released onto the ground. But some fires burn so hot that they burn the seed source as well. The earth is often scorched so severely, further inhibiting natural regeneration.

The Arbor Day Foundation, our members and partners are helping the U.S. Forest Service plant trees in areas of our national forests that cannot regenerate on its own. You can help by joining the Arbor Day Foundation through our Replanting Our National Forests campaign at www.arborday.org. Each dollar donated to the Foundation through this campaign will plant one tree in a forest that needs it most.

You can help revive our damaged forests and make a difference in the world.

What Tree Is That? to Be Featured on KSFO Radio

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:43:13 -0500

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 identify trees in a simple, step-by-step process. The book will help people identify more than 250 species of trees that live and grow in North America.

For those who do not live in the San Francisco area, you can listen to the interview at www.ksfo.com. Cohoon’s interview is scheduled to be on at 7:30 a.m. PDT.

Arbor Day Specialty Coffee Earns Top Honor

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:57:14 -0500

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 shade-grown coffee scored higher than Arbor Day Specialty Coffee, which is made from beans grown by in Mexico.

When you drink Arbor Day Specialty Coffee, in addition to getting a great-tasting cup you also make a positive impact on the world’s rain forests. Every time someone drinks a cup of Arbor Day Specialty Coffee, a portion of the rain forests is preserved as part of the Foundation’s Rain Forest Rescue program. Since 1992, more than 2 billion square feet of the world’s rain forests have been preserved through the Rain Forest Rescue program.

To learn more about Arbor Day coffee, make sure and visit www.arborday.org/coffee.

Arbor Day Foundation in Better Homes and Gardens

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:10:24 -0500

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 20 percent.

For more facts and tips, be sure and grab a copy of the magazine. The article is titled, Nature’s AC.

Our Forests Need Your Help

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:14:45 -0500

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 recent years, thanks in part to an extended period of drought conditions and warmer temperatures, the United States has been hit with record wild fires. According to a Unified Statement from Five Former U.S. Forest Service Chiefs, the fire season is “beginning earlier, particularly in the West, lasting longer and increasing intensity.”

As a result, the Forest Service is spending more and more of its budget on fire suppression. The Forest Service has identified a 1 million-acre backlog that needs replanting.

Since 1990, the Arbor Day Foundation has worked with the Forest Service to plant trees in our national forests in areas where the Forest Service has deemed that natural regeneration will not take place.

Some Arbor Day trees planted in U.S. National Forests have been used as perimeter trees, surrounding a large tract of land in need of replanting. Over time, the area will fill in with trees naturally.

If you want to help plant trees and preserve these natural treasures, visit arborday.org.

You can also check out our most recent PSA on how our forests need your help at http://www.arborday.org/replanting/psa/.

Artisan Woods now at Arbor Day Farm’s Tree Adventure

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:08:12 -0500

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 human-sized bird’s nest and discover larger-than-life chairs made from cedar wood.

Artisan Woods is the first in a series of annual outdoor exhibits planned at the Tree Adventure. Works created for Artisan Woods will be on display through Oct. 31.

Don’t miss it!

‘Exploring Trees Inside and Out’ Traveling Exhibit Opens in Atlanta

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:58:31 -0500

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 museum through September 13.

“Explore Trees Inside and Out” encourages family members of all ages to explore the beauty of the great outdoors through the incredible wonders of trees. The 2,500-square-foot exhibit is designed to create a better understanding among children age 2 to 10 about the significant role trees play in the environment.

At the exhibit, children will be able to crawl through a log and experience it as a habitat for other living things, help a seed grow into a young oak inside a huge acorn, explore a tree trunk, smell scents from various trees, and hear the sounds of animals that live in trees.

The traveling exhibit will move to Boston in September in 2009, and will travel throughout the country through the end of 2010.

Milestone planting for Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium

Thu, 28 May 2009 14:08:24 -0500

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 institution. The goal of the consortium is to create a world-leading research and breeding program to turn hazelnuts into a large commercial crop.

It’s the hope of the consortium to expand the growing region of hazelnuts to include much of the United States and parts of Canada. Right now, 99 percent of all hazelnuts grown in the U.S. are produced in the Wilmette Valley of Oregon. The Oregon crop represents between 3-5 percent of the world’s hazelnut crop.

Second generation hazelnuts are being planted in Nebraska and New Jersey to determine how different climates affect how the plant grows and produces nuts, and to test the hardiness of the hybrids.

There are many benefits to planting hazelnuts. They require less water and fossil energy to produce large amounts of crops, they are a perennial crop and are highly adaptable to poorer soil, potentially making it an ideal crop for marginal agriculture lands.

To learn more about the Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium, go to http://www.arborday.org/programs/hazelnuts/consortium/.

Happy Arbor Day!

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:00:00 -0500

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, helped organize the very first Arbor Day back in 1872, and more than a million trees were added to the Nebraska prairie that day.

This year the Arbor Day Foundation took part in our own local Arbor Day celebration, helping the City of Lincoln plant trees in a neighborhood park.

So how did you celebrate Arbor Day? Let us know!

Hardiness Zones

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:39:59 -0500

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

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:39:00 -0500

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 resource to help you identify trees in a simple step-by-step process.

What Tree Is That? will help people identify more than 250 species of trees that live and grow in North America. It also features advanced, hand-drawn botanical illustrations of many distinctive characteristics of many trees in full color.

What Tree Is That? is now available at www.arborday.org, and in book stores throughout the United States. This is the perfect gift for tree enthusiasts, nature lovers, golfers and people who love to spend time outdoors.

Trees for Success

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:31:00 -0500

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, public parks and neighborhoods this spring throughout the United States. Students, local community partners and volunteers from The Home Depot take part in the tree-planting events. The goal is to engage students in creating healthier communities by planting trees.

Trees for Success events will also take place in Detroit; Fairbanks, Alaska; Lincoln, Neb.; Miami, Midwest City, Okla.; Minneapolis; Ogden, Utah; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; and Reading, Pa.

For more information about the 2009 Trees for Success campaign, go to http://www.arborday.org/programs/events/homedepot/.

Vote Online for Your Favorite Arbor Day Poster

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:33:00 -0500

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 move on to the final round of judging. The winner of the 2009 National Arbor Day Poster Contest will be named on, naturally, National Arbor Day, which is April 24 this year.

Learn more about the poster contest, and see past winners here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy_jgCJsYec

Make sure you vote!

Here is the winning entry by Michelle Holiman of Stilwell, Okla., of the 2008 National Arbor Day Poster Contest

Re-Greening Louisiana

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:16:00 -0500

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 Louisiana. These trees are hardy as well, and they are more likely to survive in the wake of a major storm.

March is a good time to plant these seedlings, which ranged from several inches high to 2-feet, because the roots will have enough time to get established before the hot summer weather.

The trees were donated from members and partners of the Arbor Day Foundation. Thanks to the help of nearly 1 million members nationwide and many partners, the Arbor Day Foundation has distributed more than 125,000 trees in hurricane-damaged areas along the Gulf Coast. Imagine the difference 125,000 trees are making in this area of the country!

Here is a photo of Arbor Day Foundation trees being distributed by the Resurrection Project in Louisiana.

Celebrating Arbor Day in Georgia

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:16:35 -0600

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 the city of Toccoa to plan 150 more Dogwoods.

Meanwhile, in the city of Jefferson, First-graders at Jefferson Elementary School celebrated alongside community officials and the Jefferson Heritage Tree Council as Jefferson reached its third year as a Tree City USA. Events included a tree planting to celebrate the city’s overall planting efforts, and a poem recital by the first graders.

Below, Heritage Tree Council members display the Tree City USA flag.

Of course, these were only two of many, many events. Do be sure to check out the many other tree planting events that happened across the state of Georgia last week, and think about what you could do to celebrate Arbor Day in your town.

Happy Arbor Day, Georgia!

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:37:00 -0600

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.

New life at Plumas National Forest

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:48:42 -0600

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 the complex replanting process in a portion of the park — and helping to ensure protection of new and old trees into the future. This week, Linda sat down with me to discuss the devastation caused by the 2007 fires to the Moonlight and Antelope districts of the forest.

“The Moonlight Fire basically took out 45,000 acres of federal land,” she said. “It’s intensely burned. There’s very little green left in that area, it’s just a big black hole.”

And as far as replanting these burned out areas? It’s a massive undertaking.

“It’s unheard of,” Smith told me. “It’s much larger than what we’re used to dealing with. We’re working on two different fire complexes from two years ago … we’ve combined them into one effort. It’s what we’re terming ‘the largest reforestation effort ever’.”

By the end of this spring, the project at Plumas will have planted approximately 12,000 acres of forest – that’s about 1.6 million trees. The Arbor Day Foundation will assist in the planting of almost 800,000 of those trees.

Smith said that, because so much manpower is necessary to continue the project, every bit of help (such as tree-planting assistance from the Arbor Day Foundation’s members) is vital.

“We certainly appreciate [Arbor Day Foundation members’] desire to help,” Smith said. “The national forests belong to the people. It’s a part of their future as well as all of ours.”

Want to learn more about the replanting at Plumas National Forest? This short video will give you another look at what’s being done today, with your support, to help this majestic place recover from the devastation of wildfire.