Earth Day & Arbor Day: The Difference and Why Both Matter
by Terrie Spillers
We have both holidays because they started in quite different ways for causes that were important in their time, almost a century apart. Today, their causes are as crucial as ever, and they have both come to emphasize the end goal of improving our planet.
Arbor Day was started back in 1872 by a member of Nebraska’s State Board of Agriculture, Julius Sterling Morton. He proposed the day for tree planting as a way to repopulate his home state with trees. By 1888 we were recognizing the importance of trees nationwide, and Arbor Day became a widely celebrated holiday. Because tree planting can’t happen at the same time of year nationwide, Arbor Day is celebrated either the last Friday of April, or whenever the climate allows. Illinois celebrates on the last Friday in April. Activities involve planting new trees, tending to endangered trees and plants, and cultivating spaces for continued and future tree growth. While Arbor Day is thought to be just a day to plant trees, it is really about environmental stewardship and leaving a better Earth for future generations than the one we currently have.
Earth Day was founded much later in 1970 when Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson began an organization of volunteers to raise awareness of environmental issues and pollution. Nelson believed he could force environmental protection onto the national political agenda if he could combine the energy of the public awareness of the ongoing air and water pollution problems. Earth Day is every April 22 in the United States in honor of Senator Nelson’s environmental teach-in first held on that day.
Earth Day has become known for widespread, impassioned calls to action. But even if you’re not the call-your-senator-and-join-a-protest-at-the-capitol type, there are lots of simple ways for you to make a difference. Recycling, using your own grocery bags, and carrying a reusable water bottle or coffee cup are all good practices that help to cut down on waste and pollution. And just like for Arbor Day, you can plant a tree or two.
So now you know the difference between Earth Day and Arbor Day. While each holiday began under different circumstances, they have always been simpatico at their core. Take some time on these days to become more aware of your surroundings and find a way that you can positively impact the world around you. For information on what is happening this year in our area on these holidays go to www.reconnectwithnature.org.
April 1, 2020