Arbor Day #151

Celebrating Arbor Day with students at Big Jackson Public School! 

​Arbor Day is a great way to celebrate nature and the importance of trees in our environment. Newaygo Conservation District along with Newaygo County 4-H marked the 151st Celebration of Arbor Day this week by providing white pine seedlings to 2nd grade students in participating school districts throughout Newaygo County.  Over 625 seedlings which were grown at the Newaygo Conservation Nursery in Newaygo were given out along with planting instructions to youth to take home and plant with their families.

Arbor Day, much like Earth Day, focuses on nature and encourages people to plant trees. Arbor Day has a long, rich history dating back to 1872 when J. Sterling Morton encouraged his fellow Nebraskans to plant trees in their communities. Nearly 1 million trees were planted in the first year! Within 20 years, Arbor Day was celebrated in nearly every state. It wasn’t until 1970 that Arbor Day became recognized nationwide as a holiday thanks to President Richard Nixon. Now it is celebrated around the world!