Dear Kid,
Once upon a time, there weren’t any trees. Then there were. Then came Arbor Day.
Arbor Day was created by J. Sterling Morton (President Grover Cleveland’s Secretary of Agriculture) in 1872 because J. Sterling thought there weren’t enough trees in Nebraska (where he lived). That first Arbor Day, approximately 1 million trees were planted. Then there were more trees in Nebraska. But not enough for J. S. so the tradition continued.
Arbor Day dates vary because planting seasons vary by climate. For example, Hawaii celebrates Arbor Day on the 1st Friday in November because of their planting season, and Alaska celebrates on the 3rd Monday in May. But (in a happy coincidence), J. Sterling Morton’s birthday was April 22nd and most states celebrate Arbor Day right around his birthday.
There are about 1,000 types of trees in the US (Red Maple is the most common, followed by the Loblolly Pine [I did not make that up], and the Sweet Gum).
In 2004, the National Arbor Day Foundation (yes, there is such a thing) held a vote for America’s Favorite Tree. It did not include a swimsuit competition. Despite heavy lobbying by the Sweet Gum, the Oak Tree won.
Happy Arbor Day. What’s your favorite tree?
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