National Arbor Day

National Arbor Day: From GovGab:
"Last week our guest blogger, Erin Pierce, wrote about Making Every Day Earth Day. In keeping with the theme of doing good things for our planet and going green, my Friday blog is dedicated to trees. The last Friday in the month of April is designated as National Arbor Day.
All around the country there are many schools and organizations carrying out tree planting activities. I remember, as a kid, my teacher had us plant a tree and write a report on our favorite tree. I wrote about the weeping willow in our backyard. My sisters and I used to climb all over that thing. I confess to playing “Tarzan.” I would swing from the vine-like branches doing my best jungle yell. Carol Burnett’s “Tarzan yell” was better, but I think I was a close second.
Our lovely weeping willow began cracking and dying, so it had to be removed. The tree was large and it had to be cut down in sections. My dad did the cutting, but it was our job to hold the rope and pull when needed. Being a bit of a slacker, I wasn’t really holding the rope… actually, I think I was pretending to be a ballerina dancing around. A large branch broke and my sister, who was dutifully holding the rope, was dragged across the yard on her back as the branch came down. I thought that was the funniest thing, but my dad, who was nearly knocked off the ladder by the branch, did not. I got into big trouble. I held a grudge against all trees for awhile, but I eventually forgave them.

If you like trees and/or are interested in participating in Arbor Day, here are some resources to check out:

• Arbor Day Foundation has planting and pruning guides as well as a map to determine the types of trees best suited for your area.
• Climate Change Information
• Climate Change Tree Atlas
• Cooling Your Home Naturally
• How to Prune Trees
• How to Recognize Hazardous Defects in Trees
• Prepare Your Trees for Winter
• Protecting Trees From Construction Damage
• Sierra Redwood Trees
• State Trees
• Trees by Joyce Kilmer
• United States National Arboretum

Throughout the country many schools encourage and educate children on the benefits of planting trees. To see what your state or city is doing for Arbor Day, go to USA.gov and search on Arbor Day and the name of your state."