The History of Arbor Day…no surprise, it’s rooted in colonialism
Happy Arbor Day! Now, this is not a holiday that I see a lot of environmentalists talking about. It’s near Earth Day and doesn’t quite have the same track record. But as a certified tree-lover who is studying botany, I wanted to talk about the importance of trees today by highlighting a little bit about Arbor Day!
What is Arbor Day?
According to Wikipedia, “Arbor Day is a day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, depending on climate and suitable planting season.”
It is a day to celebrate trees, plant trees, and understand the importance of their role in our ecosystems and in fighting for a cleaner planet!
But…where did it start?
The dark history of Arbor Day
Before we get to the first “official” Arbor Day in 1872 in the US, let’s backtrack a few hundred years. Yes, you read that right.
According to Wikipedia, “The Spanish village of Mondoñedo held the first documented arbor plantation festival in the world, organized by its mayor in 1594. The place remains as Alameda de los Remedios, and it is still planted with lime and horse-chestnut trees. A humble granite marker and a bronze plate recall the event. Additionally, the small Spanish village of Villanueva de la Sierra held the first modern Arbor Day, an initiative launched in 1805 by the local priest with the enthusiastic support of the entire population.”
Sounds lovely and humble. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the first US Arbor Day, with roots deeply connected to colonization.
According to the Arbor Day Foundation, “As pioneers began moving into the Nebraska Territory, the lack of trees was felt deeply. Not only did the new residents miss the trees they left behind, but they were also left without the trees they needed as windbreaks to keep soil in place, for fuel and building materials, and for shade from the hot sun.”
As someone who comes from a farming community, I do understand the importance of trees in farming. But, a few things to note:
One of the reasons they planted trees was because they missed their normal trees from back east. That is not a good reason to plant non-native trees, in my humble opinion. Good news: many of the trees they planted were native Eastern Cottonwood trees. But many other trees were introduced to the region.
They would not need trees to act as windbreaks to keep soil in place if they didn’t remove the native grasses from the prairie
And also, since they wanted to keep their regular style of homes, they needed building material. It’s not a problem to want to be comfortable, how you’re used to living, but when it so greatly disturbs the environment as such, that’s a problem
I know these people were just working with what they had access to in terms of knowledge. We know so much more these days about ecology and sustainability. I’m not saying they planted trees out of bad intentions, but they were colonizing the Great Plains from the Plains Indians and destroying the environment in the process. No matter the intentions, we need to recognize the true history and learn from it so that we do not repeat these mistakes.
The First US Arbor Day
According to the Arbor Day Foundation, “Nebraska newspaper editor — and resident of Nebraska City, NE — J. Sterling Morton had an enthusiasm for trees and advocated strongly for individuals and civic groups to plant them. Once he became secretary of the Nebraska Territory, he further spread his message of the value of trees. And 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 celebration date was set for April 10, 1872. Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for the largest number of properly planted trees on that day. It was estimated that more than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day.
Arbor Day was officially proclaimed in 1874 by Nebraska’s Governor, Robert W. Furnas, and the day was observed on April 10 that year. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal state holiday in Nebraska, and April 22 was selected as the date for its permanent annual observance.”
And by 1920, around 45 US states were celebrating this tree-planting day. It later became a national holiday in 1970 when President Nixon proclaimed the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day
Arbor Day Today
Today, we still celebrate Arbor Day on the last Friday of April. You can find local tree-based events near you, or you can check out the Arbor Day Foundation to participate digitally. This looks like boosting the word on social media, donating money to the foundation, or specifically buying and dedicating a tree to be planted. Many people also take the day to plant a tree in their own yards!
If you want to do something in person, you could just search for “Arbor Day events” and add your city or county. You can also head on back to the Arbor Day Foundation for their list of events.
Why plant trees?
I would love to make a full video on the importance of trees, in particular, old-growth forests, and how they are such important ecosystems! Let me know if there’s interest in that. But for now…
Trees sequester carbon. This means they take in carbon through their leaves and store it in the woody biomass of their stems/trunks as well as in their roots. This is why they are known to be planted for climate change efforts as opposed to less woody plants like flowers, for example. The longer they grow, the more carbon they can take out of the atmosphere. But when we burn trees and fossil fuels, we are releasing that stored carbon. Hence, manmade climate change is such a problem due to the ever-increasing amount of fossil fuels burned.
Trees also keep the soil intact, as we discussed with the Nebraskan farmers. They stop the wind from sweeping through, which protects dry topsoil. But also, think about a hillside. That dirt doesn’t go anywhere thanks to the roots of many plants, not just trees. When trees and other native plants are planted in eroding areas, they can slow or even stop erosion, which can protect other plants as well as animals and also our water quality. If you’d like to slow down landslides and flooding, plant some trees! And coastal trees like mangroves also help with rising tides and ocean levels.
Speaking of water, trees can help capture rainwater, allowing us to have fuller underground reserves of freshwater. And, according to One Tree Planted, “Stormwater runoff can increase people’s exposure to pollution, but trees intercept and filter it, improving the water quality of runoff.
Over time, the stormwater is released back into the earth and atmosphere via transpiration. With less contact with pavement, stormwater that has been absorbed and released by trees is cooler and has fewer pollutants when it enters local waterways.”
If you’re a fan of writing on paper and living in a home, you can thank trees! We rely on trees for shelter and many of the things we enjoy…as do animals! Trees provide critical habitat for many animals and even other plants like mosses and ferns. They are integral to a healthy forest ecosystem!
And SO much more. I hope you get the idea!
Appreciate trees, plant trees, and advocate for halting deforestation. I hope you celebrate this Arbor Day by getting outside and maybe even planting a tree or two. Other ways you can help trees are by:
Picking up litter when you see it
Staying on the trail while hiking
Eating less meat! Meat is one of the leading causes of deforestation (learn more here)
Supporting your public lands that conserve these lands (learn more here)
Vote for the climate!
How do you support and protect trees and the greater ecosystem?
Happy Arbor Day and Happy Earth Month! If you’re interested now in the history of Earth Day, you can learn more here.
As always, thank you so much for reading along, and remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)
Emma
