Tree City USA
Tree City USA
The
National Arbor Day Foundation
designates who becomes a Tree City USA by the
efforts put forth by each community in planting and
preserving their individual tree landscapes. With a
simple gesture of setting a landscape budget and at
least one community program promoting the importance
of tree planting and preservation, any town can
receive the honor of being a Tree City USA.
Several Wisconsin prominent cities to smaller towns hold this title and have for many years. Eau Claire , Milwaukee, Wausau , Green Bay, Chippewa Falls, Marshfield , Rice Lake, Menominee, and Ladysmith to name a few. For a complete list of Wisconsin Tree City USA's, click here.
With the annual program of Earth Week (Earth Day through Arbor Day) the Village of Turtle Lake and the local Tree Advisory Board has established enough effort to become a Tree City USA. These items are requirements in the application process that will be submitted in March and accepted in December. Since 2006 the Village of Turtle Lake has proudly been a Tree City USA!
The History of Arbor Day
The idea for Arbor Day originally came from
Nebraska. A visit to Nebraska today wouldn't
disclose that the state was once a treeless plain.
Yet it was the lack of trees there that led to the
founding of Arbor Day in the 1800s.
Among pioneers moving into the Nebraska Territory in
1854 was J. Sterling Morton from Detroit. He and his
wife were lovers of nature, and the home they
established in Nebraska was quickly planted with
trees, shrubs and flowers.
Morton was a journalist and soon became editor of
Nebraska's first newspaper. Given that forum, he
spread agricultural information and his enthusiasm
for trees to an equally enthusiastic audience.
His fellow pioneers missed their trees. But, more
importantly, trees were needed as windbreaks to keep
soil in place, for fuel and building materials, and
for shade from the hot sun.
Morton not only advocated tree planting by
individuals in his articles and editorials, but he
also encouraged civic organizations and groups to
join in. His prominence in the area increased, and
he became secretary of the Nebraska Territory, which
provided another opportunity to stress the value of
trees.
Arbor Day's Beginnings
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 date was set for April 10, 1872.
Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for
planting properly the largest number of trees on
that day. It was estimated that more than one
million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first
Arbor Day.
Arbor Day was officially proclaimed by the young
state's Gov. Robert W. Furnas on March 12, 1874, and
the day itself was observed April 10, 1874. 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.
According to accounts from the Nebraska City News,
April 1885, the City celebrated Arbor Day with a
grand parade and a speech by J. Sterling Morton.
Students of different grades met at their respective
school rooms in the morning for the purpose of
planting at least one tree. Each tree that was
planted was labeled with the grade, the time
planted, and was to be specially cared for by that
grade.
When the plantings were completed, 1000 students
formed a line to begin the parade from the various
schools to Nebraska City's opera house. In the
parade, each class carried colorful banners made of
satin with silk lining and trimmed with gold fringe.
The letters on the banners were painted in oil
colors. By the time the parade reached the opera
house the throng numbered well over the 1000 as
townspeople joined the march. Every available foot
of space in the opera house was occupied, the
students having the front seats and gallery while
the older persons stood. At 11:00, the throng of
celebrants was addressed by the founder of Arbor
Day, J. Sterling Morton.
Mr. Morton was listened to with much attention, and
loudly applauded at the close of his address. At the
conclusion of the ceremonies, the students sang
"America," and the large audience was
dismissed.
This ended the first celebration of Arbor Day as a
legal holiday, and, as reported by the newspaper,
“... to say that it was a complete success but
faintly expresses it. A celebration of this kind
results in good to all, and is worthy of imitation
by every school in the state.”
During the 1870s, other states passed legislation to
observe Arbor Day, and the tradition began in
schools nationwide in 1882.
Today the most common date for the state observances
is the last Friday in April, and several U.S.
presidents have proclaimed a national Arbor Day on
that date. But a number of state Arbor Days are at
other times to coincide with the best tree planting
weather, from January and February in the south to
May in the far north.
Arbor Day has now spread beyond the United States
and is observed in many countries of the
world.