Actions for Earth Day & Arbor Day 2023
Arbor Day represents a hope for the future. The simple act of planting a tree represents a belief that the tree will grow to provide us with clean air and water, cooling shade, habitat for wildlife, healthier communities, and endless natural beauty — all for a better tomorrow.
What is Earth Day?
According to earthday.org, “every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970... Until this point, mainstream America remained largely oblivious to environmental concerns and how a polluted environment threatens human health.”
Today, Earth Day is celebrated by over a billion people every year as a day of action and advocacy for human behavior change and the creation of global, national and local policy changes. However, as the impacts of climate change become more apparent and damaging every day, the environmental movement continues with increasing urgency. As citizens of the world become frustrated by the low level of ambition following the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 and with international environmental inaction, individuals and communities are rising up to demand much more action for our planet and its inhabitants.
What is Arbor Day?
The Arbor Day Foundation website states that, “on January 4, 1872, J. Sterling Morton (Nebraska newspaper editor and resident of Nebraska City, NE) first proposed a tree planting holiday to be called “Arbor Day” at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture. The celebration date was set for April 10, 1872. Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for the largest number of properly planted trees on that day. It was estimated that more than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day.
Many other states also passed legislation to observe Arbor Day each year. By 1920, more than 45 states and territories were celebrating Arbor Day. And the tree planting tradition became prominent in schools across the nation in 1882, with schoolchildren learning about the importance of trees as well as receiving a tree to plant in their own yard. Today Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states. The most common date for the state observance is the last Friday in April — National Arbor Day — 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.“
Opportunities to Get Involved:
This Saturday, April 15th - Drylands Agroecology Research / Cool Boulder Campaign: Public Tree Planting Event
Join us in our efforts to expand and preserve our community’s tree canopy! We will be planting trees on Yellow Barn Farm, which is managed by our partner DAR, as part of their goal to plant 6000 trees this season. Planting trees can help reduce local temperatures by sequestering carbon, stabilize soils, increase water infiltration, and more!
Thursday, April 20th - Resource Central Webinar: Earth Day - Feed the Pollinators, Feed the Earth
Learn more about regenerating our planet by supporting pollinators through this webinar by our partner, the Xerces Society!
Saturday, April 22nd - Drylands Agroecology Research: Earth Day Action Day
Join us on Earth Day, April 22nd, for a joint event with One Tree Planted and Drylands Agroecology Research at Yellow Barn Farm to plant trees and shrubs, clean the irrigation ditch, and clean up at Yellow Barn Farm! Live food, music, and vendors in the afternoon. Come celebrate with us!
Saturday, April 22nd - Nude Foods Market: Earth Day in Boulder Bash
Celebrate Earth Day 2023 at Nude Foods Market, Boulder’s first zero waste grocery store! Nude Foods Market is inviting people to gather at noon to celebrate, eat, and learn! You can expect free zero-waste snacks, local, plant-based vendors, local sustainability organizations to learn from and connect with, a hard to recycle materials drive, and more!
Saturday, April 29th - PLAY Boulder Tree Trust / City of Boulder Forestry: Arbor Day Tree Sapling Giveaway
Want to plant a tree on your property, but don’t know where to get the right one? PLAY Boulder and City of Boulder Forestry will be giving out approximately 350 seedlings, including Ohio buckeye, Yellow buckeye, Sucker Punch chokecherry, European Larch, and Chinkapin oak. They will also provide resources and information on how to take care of your new tree! Trees touch everything. We need them, they need us, and it’s a long-term relationship… especially as we celebrate the city’s 40th year as a Tree City USA! Thank you for helping increase our urban forest canopy!
Saturday, May 6th - Community Fruit Rescue: Tree Care Workshop
Ready for more hands-on learning? Our upcoming Tree Care Workshop will cover how to tend to your fruit trees, including mulching, pest & disease control, and improving soil fertility ~ all of which will contribute to a healthier harvest and ecosystem as a whole! Hosted by Community Fruit Rescue and our friends at Widespread Malus and Benevolence Orchard. (Time - to be determined)
Tuesday, May 23rd - City of Boulder Forestry: Community Tree Planting at Harlow Platts Park
Join City of Boulder Forestry for a public, community tree planting at Harlow Platts Park! 18 trees will be planted, as well as the mulching and other minor maintenance of the surrounding trees. Sign up now to help expand and protect our community’s tree canopy!
