Arbor Day was the idea of one Julius Sterling Morton (1832-1902), a Nebraska journalist and politician. Morton thought Nebraska's landscape and economy would benefit from the wide-scale planting of trees. He set an example himself by planting orchards, shade trees and wind breaks on his own farm, and he urged his neighbors to follow suit. When he became a member of Nebraska's State Board of Agriculture, he proposed that a special day be set aside dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness of the importance of trees.

Arbor Day was officially proclaimed by Gov. Robert W. Furnas of Nebraska on March 12, 1874, and the day was observed April 10, 1874. Nebraska's first Arbor Day was an amazing success. It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted. In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in Nebraska and April 22, Morton's birthday, was selected as the date for its permanent observance. Morton first worked to improve agriculture in Nebraska. He then did the same for the whole United States when he served as President Grover Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture. But his most important legacy is Arbor Day.

In the years following that first Arbor Day, Morton's idea spread beyond Nebraska to other states. Today all 50 states celebrate state Arbor Days with dates that vary in keeping with the local climate--from Hawaii's first Friday in November to Alaska's third Monday in May. The National Arbor Day of the last Friday in April was chosen because many of the states celebrate theirs on that date, as ours does.

Arbor Day is also now celebrated in many other countries, although they have different names and often weeks instead of days. For instance, it is called 'Greening Week' in Japan and 'The Tree-loving Week' in Korea. Planting a tree is a good idea anywhere in the world!

For the homeowner, National Arbor Day is a great day to look over the trees on the property and plan for the future. Check your trees for damage, disease and pests. Think about planting a new tree as a windbreak, for shade, or just for looks. If you are a parent, National Arbor Day is a great opportunity to share some family activity, by choosing a tree and planting it with your child (or children). If you have no space to plant a tree, consider a small, slow-growing tree in a pot--or give a tree as a gift to someone who needs some trees on their property.