What is Arbor Day? Why we have a holiday about trees, and how to celebrate in Charlotte
Arbor Day may not be the kind of major holiday that closes schools or banks, but it is an opportunity for people to make a difference in their communities through learning about the importance of trees and helping plant new ones.
National Arbor Day 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the first Arbor Day in the United States, highlighting the long history of tree planting celebrations in communities across the country.
And in Charlotte — where the city’s once-prized tree canopy has been threatened by development — the holiday is a reminder of the role trees play in our climate and the look and feel of the Queen City.
Here’s what to know about Arbor Day, why it matters, and how to mark the holiday in the Charlotte area:
When is Arbor Day 2022?
National Arbor Day “is always celebrated on the last Friday in April,” per the Arbor Day Foundation. In 2022, that date is April 29.
Some states also celebrate separate statewide Arbor Days “based on best tree planting times in their area,” the foundation adds. In North Carolina, that day is usually the first Friday after March 15.
Why do we celebrate Arbor Day?
Arbor Day is a holiday focused on the environment, specifically on planting trees and protecting existing forests and tree canopies.
Arbor Day began in the 1870s in the then-new state of Nebraska. It was first proposed as a “tree planting holiday” by a newspaper editor who became the secretary of the Nebraska Territory, J. Sterling Morton.
“Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for the largest number of properly planted trees on that day,” the Arbor Day Foundation explains. “It was estimated that more than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day.”
The holiday spread quickly and was celebrated in 45 states and territories by 1920. It’s now a holiday in all 50 U.S. states and other communities around the world.
It’s still typically celebrated by planting trees and learning about the importance of trees to local ecosystems and the global environment.
Advocates say that’s an important conversation to have in Charlotte, where data shows the city lost 7,669 net acres of tree canopy — or about three football fields per day — between 2012 and 2018, a previous Charlotte Observer report found.
How to celebrate Arbor Day in Charlotte
While National Arbor Day falls a bit after the optimal time of year for planting trees in North Carolina, the state Forest Service still recommends several ways to celebrate, including learning about the importance of trees and what trees will do best in your area, making a plan to plant trees and talking to community leaders about tree planting plans.
And the non-profit TreesCharlotte is raising money to help fund their goal of “planting and giving away 5,000” trees each year.
“Charlotte’s growth over the past several years has been impressive, but it is imperative that we support this growth in a sustainable way by preserving our canopy and planting new trees,” the group wrote on social media in a Friday post marking the holiday.
