Arbor Day Blog

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.

In its first year, the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus...

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:24:13 -0600

In its first year, the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA program honored 30 college and university campuses across the country for their commitment to planting more trees — on campus, and throughout host communities.

Check out some footage from the very first tree planting events, and visit Tree Campus USA on arborday.org to learn more about the program.

This is a really neat piece of photography, and it makes you...

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:10:26 -0600

This is a really neat piece of photography, and it makes you realize the many different ways in which trees beautify our world year-round.

Photographer Eirik Solheim writes on his blog:

Back in 2005 I did an experiment shooting images out of my window for one year. It turned out pretty cool and in the end of 2007 I decided to do the same. But in much better quality.

So I started shooting images with my Canon 400D. From the same spot each time, but not through my window. I found a spot outside that gave more or less the same framing each time I placed my camera. So, I went out on our balcony snapping some images at pretty irregular intervals all through 2008 .

Plant a tree for the holidays with DoubleTree!

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:51:37 -0600

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

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:46:23 -0600

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 business district.

It’s exciting to see Minneapolis following that lead:

Leaves are dead and gone for the winter, but trees are not forgotten. Two major projects in Minneapolis aim to bring the city’s mostly drab downtown sidewalks up to date by adding rows of trees. The result should make segments of downtown – namely the Marquette/Second corridor and the North Loop – not only prettier for pedestrians but livelier for business and friendlier for the environment.

Compared with other economic development tools, planting trees “is a relatively inexpensive strategy,” Mayor R.T. Rybak told a gathering of the North Loop Neighborhood Association recently. “But, boy, does it pay off.”

Shady, tree-lined streets have become the norm in successful downtown districts across the country for a number of reasons: They moderate extreme temperatures, reduce storm water runoff, increase property values, create a superior walking atmosphere, calm auto traffic and lend a sense of pride and identity for workers, residents and visitors.

READ MORE

The Arbor Day Foundation works through the Tree City USA program with towns and cities across our nation — no matter their size — to ensure beautiful, efficient urban areas and city design. This news is a great development for Minneapolis, which, incidentally, has been a Tree City USA for 29 years!

LJS: Morton Statue Will Greet U.S. Capitol Visitors

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:10:00 -0600

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 Visitor Center opens in December.

The sculpture was one of 24 statues moved out of the Capitol and into the new center, which is designed to bring visitors out of the elements and into a 580,000-square-foot arena where they can eat and view historical exhibits before touring the Capitol itself.

Because the Capitol’s statue collection was beginning to look cramped now that all 50 states have donated two statues each, moving Morton’s statue should be considered an upgrade rather than a demotion, said Terrie Rouse, the center chief executive officer.
“We have shifted the statues to where they can be better appreciated,” she said.

If Morton was competing for attention in the Capitol, he doesn’t have to anymore.

The statue, which shows Morton with a sapling at his feet, stands in the lobby a few steps beyond the security check. In Morton’s left hand is the “History of Nebraska,” which he began to edit in 1897.

“Here at the foundation, we’re excited that many more people will become familiar with J. Sterling Morton and his visionary perspective on conservation here in America,” said Woodrow Nelson, vice president of communications for the National Arbor Day Foundation in Nebraska City.

READ MORE

Tree Planting at Jackson State University

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:13:00 -0600

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, Toyota and Jackson State University representatives, as well as members of the community. All expressed their appreciation for the gift of 100 new trees for the Jackson State University campus and their excitement about being recognized as one of the first Tree Campus USA universities in the country, and the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) institution to receive this recognition. Sr. Vice President, Troy Stovall received the Tree Campus USA recognition plaque and flag for the university.

Many students had never planted a tree before and learned a lot about the process. One student commented on how much work it really took to get it planted correctly, but was looking forward to coming back in the years to come to see how well it had grown. And that’s the important part about these events—connecting students with their environment to foster the growth of the next generation of tree stewards.

Thank you to all Jackson State volunteers and especially to the administration and facilities departments for all their work in planning and facilitating this event! Go Tigers!

-Mary Widhelm

Another successful Tree Campus kickoff: VTU

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:48:00 -0500

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 another great tree-planting event take place at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, VA on October 21st! Over 150 students, administration, and community volunteers showed up to help us put ninety nine new trees in the ground and recognize Virginia Tech as the third Tree Campus USA university in the country.

The event started with a ceremonial tree-planting in front of the university’s new Holtzman Alumni Center followed by the presentation of the Tree Campus USA plaque and flag, received on behalf of the college by various members of the facilities department, faculty, and students. Dr. Eric Wiseman, Assistant Professor of Urban Forestry, shared with the attendees that of all the things they do at Virginia Tech, “planting trees on campus will be one of the longest legacies that you will have here.”

After the ceremony, the students and other volunteers were off digging holes and planting trees!

The ambiance of the area was just exhilarating as students grabbed their shovels and started digging holes and putting trees in the ground. For many this was their very first time planting a tree. One student said how much he was looking forward to coming back to campus in twenty five years to see how “his tree” had grown. Mary Ambler, Virginia Tech’s student representative on the college’s Tree Advisory Committee and an Environmental Policy and Planning major couldn’t stop expressing her excitement and appreciation for the gift of trees the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota gave to the university. “This is just so exciting receiving these trees and getting to be a part of this planting event! Thank you so much for being here.”

And thank YOU to the Virginia Tech team that worked so hard to organize this successful event, which will make the campus more beautiful for years to come.

Stay tuned for updates about our next events at Oregon State and Jackson State University!

- Mary Widhelm

Tree Campus USA Tour: Northern Kentucky University

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 01:39:00 -0500

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 University.

The Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota officially launched the new Tree Campus USA program on October 16 with a tree planting event at Northern Kentucky University!

The Northern Kentucky University Norse were terrific hosts and very excited to be recognized as one of the first Tree Campus USA colleges in the nation. The University met all five standards of the Tree Campus USA program and Dr. James Votruba, University President, accepted the Tree Campus USA plaque and flag on behalf of the college.

What better way to kick off a program that encourages best tree management practices and engages students in the care of their campus trees than by adding some more trees to this growing campus in Highland Heights, Kentucky – just Southeast of Cincinnati. Over 40 tulip poplars and yoshino cherry trees were planted near the entrance of the college and just adjacent to the new Welcome Center. These trees will be a beautiful addition to welcome students, faculty, and visitors as they enter the NKU campus.

The day before the event, we were given a tour of the campus. They have just started an arboretum by Lake Norse and are making great efforts to add “green” to the campus which has historically been very concrete. The efforts are definitely paying off as we witnessed numerous students gravitate towards the more landscaped areas. Who wouldn’t want to catch up with studies or relax between classes in an area where there are more trees!

The tree planting event at Northern Kentucky University was the first of nine that will be held throughout the country to celebrate the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota’s Tree Campus USA initiative. To learn more about this new program that honors colleges and the leaders of their surrounding communities for promoting healthy urban forest management and promoting environmental stewardship, visit arborday.org/treecampususa.

- Michelle Scribner, Program Director, Arbor Day Foundation