Origin of Arbor Day
The idea for Arbor Day came from Nebraska. A visitor to Nebraska today wouldn't believe that the state was once a treeless plain. Yet it was the lack of trees there that led to the founding of Arbor Day in the 1800s.
At that time Nebraska was covered with few trees. So few that the pioneers had trouble in getting enough to build houses or to burn for fuel. There was no shade from the sun or wind, and crops didn't grow well in the dry earth.
Fortunately, among those moving into Nebraska in 1854 was J. Sterling Morton. He and his wife were nature lovers, and the home they established in Nebraska was quickly planted with trees and flowers. Morton was a journalist and soon became editor of Nebraska's first newspaper, then he became a member of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture.
On January 4, 1872, Morton first proposed a tree-planting holiday to be called “Arbor Day” at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture. The date was set for April 10, 1872. Action speaks louder than words. It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day.
In the years following the first Arbor Day, his idea spread to Kansas, Tennessee, Minnesota and Ohio. Today all 50 states have their own Day of Trees in keeping with local weather.
Hawaii celebrates it in November, while Alaska in May! More interesting, each state has a special “state tree”. The “state tree” for Nebraska is cottonwood, for Alaska is Sitka Spruce.
Influence
Arbor Day has now spread beyond the United States and is observed in many countries of the world. In some it is the king or queen who leads the national celebration, and in many cases special trees are planted in memory of the day.
Arbor Day is of American origin and the idea has spread widely to other lands where it is observed as the “Greening Week” of Japan, “The New Year's Days of Trees” in Israel, “The Tree-loving Week” of Korea, and “The National Festival of Tree Planting” in India. Arbor Day in its various forms is now recognised in more than fifty countries. China has its “Tree Planting Day” on March 12.
Significance
On Arbor Day, particular attention is drawn to the part that trees play in our lives. It's not just a day to plant trees and then forget everything about it for another 364 days. Planting a tree one day is no good to us if, during the rest of the year, we neglect to care for it. Our thought on Arbor Day should be an expression of enduring feeling, thought and action and not just a moment of interest.
Just as Mr. Morton put it, “Arbor Day which has already transplanted itself to every state in the American Union and has even been adopted in foreign lands... is not like other holidays. Each of those reposes on the past, while Arbor Day proposes for the future.”
What can you do?
1) Get people into action. Ask as many people as possible to gather paper to be recycled and save a tree. Use what you earn from the waste paper to buy a special tree to plant in a park or other public place.
2) Conduct a tree search. Ask people to find large, unusual or historic trees in your community. Tell people to take care of them.
3) Get people together to hold community parties and get their members to adopt and care for street trees in front of their homes.
4) Observe Arbor Day in a personal way by planting a tree yourself. It is an act of kindness, a labor of love and a duty as a citizen. Anyone can do it. And then watch it grow together.
植树节之“根”
植树节根源于美国内布拉斯加州。如果你今天去参观内布拉斯加州，你决不会相信那儿曾经是一片光秃秃的大草原。正是因为放眼望不到一棵树，才促成了十八世纪植树节的“破土”而出。
那时候内布拉斯加州树木稀少。开拓者们要想找树木修房子或烧火做饭，简直难上加难。炎热的太阳下没有树木遮荫，狂风吹来没有树木档风，干旱的大地上庄稼生长不良。
幸运的是，1854年在内布拉斯加州这群开拓者中走来了J·斯得林·莫尔顿。他和妻子俩都热爱大自然。他们在内布拉斯加州的居家很快就被葱郁的树木和芬芳的鲜花所包围。莫尔顿当时是一位记者，不久成为内布拉斯加州第一家大报的编辑，后来又当选为内布拉斯加州农业委员会委员。
1872年元月四日，在内布拉斯加州农业委员会的一次会议上，莫尔顿首先提议设立植树的节日，即“植树节”。这一天初步定在1872年四月10日。人们说干就干。在第一个植树节，仅内布拉斯加一州植树就达100万余棵！
一花引来万花开。莫尔顿倡导的植树节迅速传遍堪萨斯州、田纳西州、明尼苏达州和俄亥俄州。到如今，全美50个州都根据当地的气候制定了具有地方特色的植树节。
比如，夏威夷的植树节就定在11月（当地早春三月），而阿拉斯加州却设在5月！更有趣的是，各州还有自己的“州树”。譬如，内布拉斯加州的“州树”是三叶杨，阿拉斯加的“州树”则是北美云杉。
植树节的冲击波
植树节已经跨越国境，传遍全世界。许多国家都设立了植树节。在有些国家，国王或王后亲自率领全民植树。许多时候，人们栽种某种特殊的树以纪念这一天。
植树节起源于美国，但这一理念已经传遍世界各地：在日本称之为“绿色周”，在以色列称之为“新年植树节”，在朝鲜称之为“爱树周”，在印度称之为“全民植树节”。植树节形式多样，已在五十多个国家“生根”。中国的植树节设在每年的3月12日。
十年树木
在植树节，人们格外留意树木对我们生活的影响。我们不能种一天树，而另外364天将这事忘得一干二净。如果我们某一天种下树，而其他日子却不去护理，那就毫无意义了。我们对植树节应该怀有持久的情感、应采取有始有终的行动，决不应该只是一时的心血来潮。
诚如莫尔顿先生所说，“植树节已经移植到了美国每一个州，已经为外国所借鉴……植树节与任何节日都不同。其他节日旨在怀旧，而植树节则在筹划未来。”
我为植树节做什么？
⑴请人们采取实际行动。要求人们尽量回收废纸供循环使用，从而拯救树木。用卖废纸的钱买一棵很特别的树，种在公园或其他公共场所。
⑵组织一次寻找珍贵树木的活动，让人们发现社区内的参天大树、罕见的树或者具有历史意义的树木。号召人们保护好这些树。
⑶把社区内人们召集起来，号召大家“认养”并照料好各自门前大街上的树。
⑷亲自栽上一棵树，以这种特别的个人方式庆祝植树节。这种行为是善良的，这种辛苦是爱心的标志，尽了公民的义务。这事不难。然后，你就可以看着树与它一起成长！