April showers bring may flowers- so it’s time to get planting.
The month of April holds a holiday in which many individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees to raise awareness about the important role they play in the environment. This holiday is known worldwide as Arbor Day. Arbor Day is celebrated in many countries, however, depending on the climate and planting season, the date of the holiday varies. This year in the United States, the official date of Arbor Day is April 26th.
The first celebration of Arbor Day took place in Nebraska in 1872; it quickly took off and became an international day where people come together to observe the incredible significance of trees in the environmental process. Although Arbor Day has been recognized for over 100 years, the importance of it is still extremely valid today. The long term damage that deforestation has on the environment is an issue that we face daily. The greediness of the human population has become so severe that the state of environmental problems, now more than ever before, need to be addressed. Continuing to celebrate Arbor Day is a great way to inform the public about rising concerns. It is easy for people to take trees for granted, but, to have a whole day commemorated in their glory is the perfect way to focus the attention on them for a period of time.
Of course Arbor Day is meant to educate people, however, it is also a time to honor the environment as a whole and acknowledge all that it does for us. Humans are provided with an amazing world that should be treated with respect and that is exactly what this holiday is meant to recognize.
At Georgia College, Arbor Day was celebrated on April 2nd. Students and faculty at the university teamed up and planted Dogwood and Ginkgo trees across campus. The president of Georgia College, Dr. Steve Dorman, participated as well. Georgia College is a certified Tree Campus, meaning there are a certain number of trees planted throughout campus in order to enhance its beauty and improve the environment. Planting these additional trees was a remarkable way to add to the aesthetic of Georgia College’s campus in addition to educating the community about the significance of Arbor Day and all that it entails.
Georgia College Green Initiative 