{"id":19420,"date":"2024-07-28T12:08:54","date_gmt":"2024-07-28T02:08:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=19420"},"modified":"2024-10-21T20:17:34","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T10:17:34","slug":"national-tree-day-2024-the-origins-of-arbor-day-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/national-tree-day-2024-the-origins-of-arbor-day-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"National Tree Day 2024: The Origins of Arbor Day Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The origins of Arbor Day ( \u201ctree\u201d day from the Latin arbor) go way back to the Spanish village of Mondo\u00f1edo which held the first documented arbor plantation festival in 1594. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The place remains as Alameda de los Remedios, and it is still planted with lime and horse-chestnut trees. Later, the Spanish village of Villanueva de la Sierra held the first modern Arbor Day, an initiative launched in 1805 by the local priest, don Juan Abern Samtr\u00e9s, who, according to the chronicles, “convinced of the importance of trees for health, hygiene, decoration, nature, environment and customs, decides to plant trees and give a festive air\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The monument to the first Arbor Day in the world, Villanueva de la Sierra (Spain), 1805<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The fuse that ignited a later global coverage of Arbor Day was lit by J. Sterling Morton the editor of the Nebraska City News<\/em> when he organised through the agriculture board the planting of an estimated one million trees on 10 April 1872 in Nebraska. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event was originally going to be called \u201cSylvan Day\u201d in reference to forest trees, however, Morton convinced everyone that the day should reflect the appreciation of all types of trees, and \u201cArbor Day\u201d was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1883, the American Forestry Association made fellow agriculturalist Birdsey Northrop of Connecticut the chairman of the committee to campaign for Arbor Day nationwide; Northrop further globalized the idea when he visited Japan in 1895 and delivered his Arbor Day and Village Improvement message. He also brought his enthusiasm for Arbor Day to Australia, Canada, and other European countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first Arbor Day in Queensland was held on 1 August 1890 organised by Philip MacMahon, Director of Brisbane Botanic Gardens, and the Acclimatisation Society with trees supplied to local state schools about Brisbane. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The popularity of school plantings throughout the state peaked between the two world wars.\u00a0 The planting effort these days is with various community groups. Planet Ark’s National Tree Day for example commenced in 1996.<\/p>\n\n\n\n