Happy Arbor Day!

Established by J. Sterling Morton in 1872, this holiday is observed in all 50 states and some foreign countries. A designated day to plant trees, The Morton Arboretum will celebrate Arbor Day on Friday, April 28th.

Let me alert you to some of the resources in the Sterling Morton Library relating to this special day:

J. Sterling Morton by James Olson – a biography of the founder of Arbor Day and the father of the Arboretum’s founder, Joy Morton - CT9610.M6 O4 1972
Arbor Day manual : an aid to preparing programs for Arbor Day exercises - SD363.S62
The Arbor Day lady by Mary L. Hellings - SD363.H4

In our children’s collection:
Arbor Day by Diane Burns – J SD363 .B87
J. Sterling Morton : Arbor Day boy by Clyde Moore - J CT9610.M6 M6

In the Suzette Morton Davidson Special Collections:
Arbor day : its history, observation, spirit and significance with practical selections on tree-planting and conservation, and a nature anthology, 1909.
Arbor day: its history and observance, 1896.
Arbor day, 1888.

From selected journals:
Arbor Day manual : an aid in preparing programs for Arbor Day exercises - SD363 .S62
Arbor Day in Flower & Garden, April 1990, v. 34, no. 2, p. 8.
Arbor Day : a Morton tradition by Richard Hootman in The Morton Arboretum Quarterly, v. 30, no. 1, p. 1-5.
The Man who started Arbor Day by Hal Borland in The Morton Arboretum Quarterly, v. 8, no. 1, p. 6-8.
Arbor Day : the first 100 years by H. J. Banker in American Forests, v. 78, no. 4, p. 8-11, 60-61.

Other resources:
The history of Arbor Day and a quick list of each state's Arbor Day celebration date and state tree. Arbor Day dates vary from state to state, depending on climate. Most are in March or April, but a few are in other months.

Today in History: The First Arbor Day from the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress

Arbor Day from an international perspective
Arbor Day Celebration in South Africa
Details on Arbor Day Events Around the World


Other holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the future.
— J. Sterling Morton

Enjoy the day! Plant a tree!