Arbor Day is a celebration of all things trees. The word arbor in Latin actually means tree. Although we have a designated day for the arbors in our lives, trees are something that should be appreciated, preserved, and celebrated every day.
“THE BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE WAS 20 YEARS AGO. THE SECOND BEST TIME IS NOW.” — CHINESE PROVERB
To show our love for the trees in a way that would even make The Lorax proud, here are a few ideas to do on Arbor Day — or any day!
10 Tree Things for Arbor Day
1. The most obvious thing you can do is plant a tree. But make sure you choose the right tree, location for it, and know how to properly care for it!
2. Stop by the library and pick up a few books about trees:
- The Giving Tree
- The Lorax
- A Tree is Nice
- For older readers, they might appreciate nonfiction books about tree types, identification, etc.
- The Tree (Adult read)
3. Go on a neighborhood or trail tree walk. Bring a field guide, or make your own with hand-drawn pictures, or bring your camera and identify them when you get home. Try to find a tree with an exposed stump, count the “age rings,” and learn about how a tree grows.
4. Donate to a local tree organization or volunteer your time for your community.
5. Make a list of what animals, birds, and insects live in trees. Observe when and how they use the trees, make your own nature/field guide, and learn more about their habitats.
6. Enjoy the company of a tree by having a picnic in the shade, enjoy a nap against the trunk, do a meditation session, climb it or just appreciate its beauty.
7. Create bark art. Take a piece of paper, put it against a tree, and rub the imprint of the bark with crayon. Notice the patterns between different trees and discuss what you see. Collect leaves and do something similar with crayons or even paint and create leaf imprints.
8. Think about the types of foods that come from trees (apples, syrup, cocoa, bananas, etc.). Make a list of all the ones you can think of. Choose one food item to make as a snack to enjoy and thank the trees that grew it!
9. Reduce, reuse, and recycle — help the trees and environment by reducing paper usage.
10. When in doubt, hug it out! Hug your favorite tree and take a moment to appreciate everything trees do for us and the environment.
Tree Technology
Check these out in celebration of Arbor Day!
- Forest App: Mindful app, stay focused, plant a tree
- Ecosia Search Engine: Replace your current search engine and help plant trees
“IF YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY FOR A YEAR, PLANT A GARDEN; IF YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY FOR LIFE, PLANT A TREE.” — ENGLISH PROVERB
