Arbor Day is a day set apart for planting trees. It is observed especially by schoolchildren. Most states in the United States and most provinces of Canada celebrate Arbor Day. Arbor Day is a legal holiday in some states and provinces. The Southern States and Hawaii celebrate it at various times from December to March. Most Northern States celebrate it in April or May. Many other countries also celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees, or they have other special days or weeks for tree planting.

Arbor Day began in Nebraska. Julius Sterling Morton, a newspaper publisher, realized that trees would emich the soil and conserve moisture in it. Through his efforts, April 10, 1872, was set aside as Nebraska's fIrst Arbor Day. After Morte died, the Nebraska Legislature changed the date of Arbor Day to his birthday, April 22, and made it a legal holiday.

On Arbor Day, particular attention is drawn to the part trees play in our lives. It's not just a day to plant trees and then forget the gesture for another twelve months. Planting a tree one day is no credit to us if, during the rest of the year, we neglect to care for it and those already growing. Our thought on Arbor Day should be an expression of enduring feeling, thought and action and not just one single, isolated flame of interest.

In schools and other community groups, this day can be celebrated in many different ways.

By planting trees or shrubs in school grounds, along neighbouring streets or in civic parks.

By 'adopting' a patch of bush, with the landowner's consent, and caring for it by removal of weeds, rubbish, etc, by preparing firebreaks and by fencing and making paths to reduce trampling.

Collect some tree seeds, germinate them in a classroom, and plant out the seedling.

Carry out identification of trees in a specific part of your school or neighbourhood. A tree labelling ceremony could also be arranged.

Compile a list of everyday objects that are made of wood or wood-based materials, and find out how the wood was processed, where it came from and whatever else you can.

Winter was coming, and the birds had flown far to the south, where the air was warm and they could find berries to eat. One little bird had broken its wing and could not fly with the others. It was alone in the cold world of frost and snow. The forest looked warm, and it made its way to the trees as well as it could, to ask for help.

First it came to a birch tree. ``Beautiful birch tree,'' it said, ``my wing is broken, and my friends have flown away. May I live among your branches till they come back to me?''

``No, indeed,'' answered the birch tree, drawing her fair green leaves away. ``We of the great forest have our own birds to help. I can do nothing for you.''

``The birch is not very strong,'' said the little bird to itself, ``and it might be that she could not hold me easily. I will ask the oak.'' So the bird said: ``Great oak tree, you are so strong, will you not let me live on your boughs till my friends come back in the springtime?''

``In the springtime!'' cried the oak. ``That is a long way off. How do I know what you might do in all that time? Birds are always looking for something to eat, and you might even eat up some of my acorns.''

``It may be that the willow will be kind to me,'' thought the bird, and it said: ``Gentle willow, my wing is broken, and I could not fly to the south with the other birds. May I live on your branches till the springtime?''

The willow did not look gentle then, for she drew herself up proudly and said: ``Indeed, I do not know you, and we willows never talk to people whom we do not know. Very likely there are trees somewhere that will take in strange birds. Leave me at once.''

The poor little bird did not know what to do. Its wing was not yet strong, but it began to fly away as well as it could. Before it had gone far a voice was heard. ``Little bird,'' it said, ``where are you going?''

``Indeed, I do not know,'' answered the bird sadly. ``I am very cold.''

``Come right here, then,'' said the friendly spruce tree, for it was her voice that had called.

``You shall live on my warmest branch all winter if you choose.''

``Will you really let me?'' asked the little bird eagerly.

``Indeed, I will,'' answered the kind-hearted spruce tree. ``If your friends have flown away, it is time for the trees to help you. Here is the branch where my leaves are thickest and softest.''

``My branches are not very thick,'' said the friendly pine tree, ``but I am big and strong, and I can keep the North Wind from you and the spruce.''

``I can help, too,'' said a little juniper tree. ``I can give you berries all winter long, and every bird knows that juniper berries are good.''

So the spruce gave the lonely little bird a home; the pine kept the cold North Wind away from it; and the juniper gave it berries to eat. The other trees looked on and talked together wisely.

``I would not have strange birds on my boughs,'' said the birch.

``I shall not give my acorns away for any one,'' said the oak.

``I never have anything to do with strangers,'' said the willow, and the three trees drew their leaves closely about them.

In the morning all those shining, green leaves lay on the ground, for a cold North Wind had come in the night, and every leaf that it touched fell from the tree.

``May I touch every leaf in the forest?'' asked the wind in its frolic.

``No,'' said the Frost King. ``The trees that have been kind to the little bird with the broken wing may keep their leaves.''

This is why the leaves of the spruce, the pine, and the juniper are always green.

A tree can grow to manufacture five pounds of pure oxygen per day, consume carbon dioxide to fight the "greenhouse effect" that threatens our survival, and provide the cooling equivalent of ten room-size air conditioning units.

A tree, over a 50-year period, will generate $31,250 worth of oxygen, provide $62,000 worth of air pollution control, and recycle $37,500 worth of water.

Send virtual cards to your family and friends!

Raise the flag, strike up the band, make Arbor Day fun. Make it memorable. Organize a fun run. Make it a real event. See if a local business will donate prizes. Have a poster contest, or a poetry contest. Get the local PTA to sponsor a children's pageant or play. Check out the Arbor Day Play, where the statue of J. Sterling Morton comes to life to tell the children how he "authored" this special holiday. Organize and train volunteers to help you carry out Arbor Day ceremonies in your schools.

Get people excited. Show them things they've never seen before. Tell them things about trees they've never heard.

Fill the air with music. Have an Arbor Day concert of songs about trees, or with tree names in their titles.

Get people into action. Ask a civic or service group to promote a paper drive to gather paper to be recycled and save a tree. Use the proceeds to buy a special tree to plant in a park or other special public place. Ask a local radio station to sponsor a tree trivia contest and give away trees to winners. Conduct a tree search. Ask people to find large, unusual or historic trees in your community. Tell people to take a hike--a tree identification hike--and have girl scouts or boy scouts act as guides.

Dedicate a forest, or a tree, or a flower bed in a park, and make it an occasion to talk about stewardship. Get a local nursery or garden center to hold an open house or field day. Organize an Arbor Day Fair.

Get people together. Encourage neighborhood organizations to hold block parties and get their members to adopt and care for street trees in front of their homes. Pass out buttons. Give away trees.

Celebrate Arbor Day in a personal way by planting a tree yourself. It is an act of optimism and kindness, a labor of love and a commitment to stewardship.