Arbor Day
Arbor Day is a holiday dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness of the importance of trees. While National Arbor Day in the United States is celebrated annually on the last Friday in April, the observance dates can vary by state to coincide with the optimal local tree planting season. The first Arbor Day was a uniquely American holiday proposed by J. Sterling Morton in Nebraska. On January 4, 1872, Morton, a journalist and later U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, advocated for a day to be set aside for tree planting at a meeting of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture. The first observance took place on April 10, 1872, in Nebraska, where it’s estimated that over one million trees were planted.
