Sounds like some shenanigans, doesn’t it? Before you dismiss it as another excuse to go hug a tree, you should turn over a new leaf and spruce up your knowledge.
The holiday’s roots originated from Nebraska. This holiday has been celebrated for over 100 years and has sprouted into an international holiday. Traditionally, Arbor day stemmed from Pioneers planting trees as wind breakers to keep soil in place and to shade farm workers from the hot sun. The Pioneers and farmers of the late 1800’s loved the shelter these trees provided. On April 10, 1872 more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska and so was the seed of Arbor Day. In the years to follow, prizes were offered to counties who planted the most trees. By 1882, Arbor day had spread across the country to become a nationwide holiday. Over 100 years later, Arbor Day is celebrated in countries all over the world. Countries such as Israel, Korea, Iceland, India, and many others have adopted their own version of Arbor Day. Arbor day is serves to educate the public about the importance of trees in the environment and to make a difference in our communities.
In today’s world, we have discovered many more benefits of trees that are often forgotten. Trees combat climate change by absorbing the carbon from carbon dioxide and releasing the oxygen back in to the air. With the fumes released from our cars and other machines, this process is important for our survival. Trees also can cool a city by up to 10°F, by shading our homes and streets, breaking up urban “heat islands” and releasing water vapor into the air through their leaves.
Now those are some facts to pine over.
Are you ready to branch out and be a part of the upcoming Arbor day holiday on April 15th? Join Greystone and residents from all over the state and help plant fir trees throughout the community. Don’t be shady and come by this Saturday and be a part of the team chemistree. For more information and to RSVP for this event, click here.
Scott Anderson is a Technical Engineer in our Denver office. He is also our Q2 Volunteer Time Off (VTO) champion. He is passionate about giving back and has chosen Arbor Day as a way to get his fellow coworkers involved in the community with him.
