Monday, April 20, 2009
Arbor Day 2009...
Earth Day is coming up in a couple days, but that is not the only eco-friendly day this week. Arbor Day is on April 24th. Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care. The first Arbor Day took place on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. It was the brainchild of Julius Sterling Morton (1832-1902), a Nebraska journalist and politician. Throughout his long and productive career, Morton worked to improve agricultural techniques in his adopted state and throughout the United States when he served as President Grover Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture. But his most important legacy is Arbor Day. He proposed that a special day be set aside dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness of the importance of trees. Nebraska's first Arbor Day was an amazing success. More than one million trees were planted. A second Arbor Day took place in 1884 and the young state made it an annual legal holiday in 1885. Morton was probably the most well-known advocate for planting trees except possibly for Johnny Appleseed. (Yes Virginia, there really was a Johnny Appleseed.)
My husband is originally from a small town not far away from Nebraska City, Nebraska and well familiar with J Sterling Morton and the Arbor Day traditions in Nebraska. I have been to Nebraska City and even the Arbor Lodge State Park.
How could we celebrate a holiday without activities and crafts for the kids...
Earth Day is coming up in a couple days, but that is not the only eco-friendly day this week. Arbor Day is on April 24th. Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care. The first Arbor Day took place on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. It was the brainchild of Julius Sterling Morton (1832-1902), a Nebraska journalist and politician. Throughout his long and productive career, Morton worked to improve agricultural techniques in his adopted state and throughout the United States when he served as President Grover Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture. But his most important legacy is Arbor Day. He proposed that a special day be set aside dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness of the importance of trees. Nebraska's first Arbor Day was an amazing success. More than one million trees were planted. A second Arbor Day took place in 1884 and the young state made it an annual legal holiday in 1885. Morton was probably the most well-known advocate for planting trees except possibly for Johnny Appleseed. (Yes Virginia, there really was a Johnny Appleseed.)
My husband is originally from a small town not far away from Nebraska City, Nebraska and well familiar with J Sterling Morton and the Arbor Day traditions in Nebraska. I have been to Nebraska City and even the Arbor Lodge State Park.
How could we celebrate a holiday without activities and crafts for the kids...
- Kaboose is always a favorite site.
- Nor could we forget DLTK Kids.
- Apples 4 the Teacher is an excellent resource site.
- The Teacher's Guide has quite a bit of useful information.
- Lots of resources at Teacher Planet.
- Of course there are activities at the official Arbor Day Foundation website.
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 6:03 AM 
