Communities Across the Country Prepare to Celebrate the 145th Arbor Day

LINCOLN, Neb., April 19, 2017 /3BL Media/ – April 28, 2017 marks the 145th celebration of Arbor Day. A holiday established in 1872 in Nebraska City to inspire people to plant trees, it became a legal holiday in 1885. To help people across the country get more easily involved in celebrating the country's first environmental holiday, the Arbor Day Foundation has launched celebratearborday.com. People can visit the website to see what is going on in their local community as well as to plant trees and plan their own Arbor Day celebrations.

During the month of April, to help all Americans commemorate Arbor Day, Unilever and Ahold are planting a tree in our nation's forests for any unique social post featuring "#Arborday" -- at least 20,000 trees. Visitors to celebratearborday.com can watch the number of trees planted increase on the website's "Treemometer."

For those looking to venture out on a weekend getaway, the Arbor Day Foundation has compiled a list of 10 not-to-miss Arbor Day celebrations.

Nebraska City, Nebraska
You won't want to miss Arbor Day in its home town of Nebraska City, where it has been celebrated since the inaugural holiday 145 years ago. The city boasts loads of family-friendly activities and events all Arbor Day weekend long, including an Arbor Day 5K and parade as well as an Arbor Day Market. Visitors can also stop by the home of J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day, or visit Arbor Day Farm and Lied Lodge.

Ripley, Ohio
This year, Ripley won an Arbor Day celebration for participation in the Alliance for Community Trees NeighborWoods® Month photo contest. The contest awarded a grant for the winning submission of a beautiful city tree canopy picture. To celebrate, the village will plant six trees on Arbor Day, hold a poster contest, and give away seedlings to elementary students.

Cedar Hill, Texas
Celebrate with Cedar Hill at Earth Fest this year. Join city officials and learn what it means to be a Tree City USA and how trees have benefited the city. Mayor Franke will read an Arbor Day proclamation declaring the celebration of Arbor Day in Cedar Hill. Attendees will get a free tree to take home and plant.

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Come celebrate the 145th Birthday of Arbor Day with cake, snacks, tree fun and prizes. Join in at noon at the Harbor House for a tree planting and presentation of our 33rd Tree City USA award. Arbor Day art contest winners will be revealed, and you'll have the opportunity to learn more about the trees that make this city so great.

Lansing, Michigan
Feel the excitement as more than 1,100 second- and third-graders visit Potter Park Zoo to learn about nature. Students will watch the planting of the official State Arbor Day tree, and local experts will have hands-on activities for them, inspiring future stewards of the environment.

Frankfort, Kentucky
Celebrate Arbor Day in Frankfort with a hot air balloon ride. Afterward, enjoy the Tree City USA recognition ceremony and tree planting. You'll also receive a free tree to plant and commemorate the day.

Manhattan, Kansas
The Kansas Forest Service is celebrating their 130th anniversary this year. Join the Forest Service in a tree planting event filled with a tree walk to test your tree knowledge, tree care tips from the experts and the unveiling of the new community arboretum.

Bellevue, Washington
Celebrate 'city in a park' at the annual Arbor Day-Earth Day family festival, where trees take center stage at Lewis Creek Park. Watch an official ceremonial tree planting featuring a presentation of colors by VFW Post 2995. Join Bellevue as it celebrates its 26th year as a recognized Tree City USA and learn why trees are so great for the city. Don't miss out.

Aspen, Colorado
Join the city in celebrating Arbor Day at Paepke Park. Get answers to all your buzzing tree care questions from one of the numerous local tree care companies and agencies with informational booths, take a ride in the bucket of a pruning truck and see why trees are so cool. Plus, attendees have the chance to win a free tree in the tree raffle.

Henderson, Nevada
Henderson knows how to build excitement, so they celebrate Arbor Day in a week-long program. During the week of Arbor Day, city officials will visit fourth-grade classrooms to teach students about the tree planter's holiday. The week ends with a citywide celebration downtown where winners of the Arbor Day poster contest are announced. Come to the celebration and watch a climbing demo by a local tree contractor and participate in other fun tree activities.

"Arbor Day is that one day every year reminding us to think about all that trees do for us -- a day for reflection and for action," said Dan Lambe, president, Arbor Day Foundation. "On April 28, communities across the country will to come together to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. We invite you to set differences aside, grab a shovel and make a positive impact in your community by planting a tree."

About the Arbor Day Foundation
Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters, and valued partners. During the last 44 years, more than 250 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, climate change, deforestation, poverty and hunger.

As one of the world's largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation, through its members, partners and programs, educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees. More information is available at arborday.org.