The first annual Arbor Day was celebrated in the state of Nebraska in 1872. Julius Sterling Morton of Detroit and his wife Caroline are credited with giving the national tree-planting holiday its start. They were both nature enthusiasts and moved to Nebraska. At the time, Nebraska had few trees and was mostly plains. As a result, they took to planting trees around their Nebraska home.
J. Sterling Morton was a journalist and later editor of the first Nebraska newspaper. He would use the newspaper as a platform to spread the word about trees and how they could be used for fuel, windbreaks, building materials and shade on the prairie. He went on to be a sounding board for environmental stewardship and encouraged everyone to take the time to plant trees. As a result of his efforts, the State Board of Agriculture decided to set aside one day a year in which people were encouraged to plant trees. The idea was contagious and soon, the entire nation adopted the holiday.
Originally Arbor Day was celebrated on April 22nd, Julius Sterling Morton’s birthday, but was later moved to the last Friday during the month of April. Now, people across the nation take the time to plant trees.
“The trees planted on Arbor Day show a concern for future generations. The simple act of planting a tree represents a belief that the tree will grow and, some day, provide wood products, wildlife habitat, erosion control, shelter from the wind and sun, beauty, and inspiration for ourselves and our children.”
Arbor Day and the Print Industry
Like the founder of Arbor Day, the print industry also sees the value in planting trees. Every year the print industry plants three times the trees that it uses. Today there is 12,000,000 more acres of United States forestland than the amount of 20 years ago. With the increasingly important need to recycle, printers are working harder than ever to use recyclable papers when available. 70% of printed advertisements and direct mail are printed on recycled paper.
At Wallace Carlson Printing we take our green initiative seriously and are always working towards the goal of bettering the environment. Just this last year we recycled:
- 450 tons of paper – saving 7650 trees or enough lumber to build 293 homes
- 35 tons of aluminum – saving enough manufacturing energy to power 286 homes for one year
- 3 tons of plastic – enough to create 2400 board feet of plastic lumber
Take the time today to plant a tree. Help us continue the Arbor Day tradition and provide wood, wildlife habitat, shelter from the wind and sun, beauty, and inspiration for both ourselves and our children.