Paul E. Kisner, age 14, of Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, for his question.
When did Arbor Day get started?
Nowadays, the prevailing question from the youth generation is: What can I do about pollution? Many have toiled to clean up the messy outdoors and most have stopped strewing litter. All want to do more., much more where it counts. One recommendation is to join the Green Revolution and a deep down understanding of Arbor Day is an excellent starting point.
The great idea was proposed by Julius Sterling Morton, a nature lover of Nebraska who later became U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. His plan became a reality on April 10, 1872, when the people of Nebraska celebrated Arbor Day by planting more than one million trees. One by one, other states and foreign countries adopted the plan. They arranged to celebrate their Arbor Days on dates most suitable to tree planting in their climate zones.
Arbor Day, naturally, is a'down to earth project that requires the help of many willing hands. At first it was directed to agricultrual associations and civic authorities. These adults succeeded admirably, but almost at once the project was captured and carried off by the youth generation. Experienced adults, of course, still organize things set the date, provide trees and such. But nowadays the down to earth Arbor Day festivities belong mainly to school children, students, Boy Scouts and other youth groups.
Possibly this is because young persons have a deeper understanding of what Arbor Day is all about. Planting and cherishing a young tree expresses a built in love and respect for nature. It is especially gratifying when we realize that perhaps only a thoroughgoing Green Revolution' can save us from pollution. Willing hands are needed to cherish more greenery for oxygen and purer air, to tend healthy vegetables grown in uncontaminated soils. No hands are too young to help and young hearts have a special something required to get a Green Revolution going. These facts were demonstrated immediately and conclusively with the first Arbor Day project.
Readers who agree with these ideas should ask about plans to celebrate Arbor Day in your community. Memorize the date selected. Contact forestry and agricultural agencies to learn suitable sites and possible supplies of young trees. Line up a shovel, plant your tree and plan an enjoyable schedule to cherish it as it grows.
Our early ancestors had tree planting ceremonies before the dawn of history. They lived close to nature and observed it with sacred respect. Later generations tried to conquer and subdue nature and disastrous results piled up through the centuries. It's time now to reverse those big headed notions and return our efforts to co operating with nature. Mankind and nature, working together, in time may be able to re establish a livable, unpolluted planet.