National Arbor Day acknowledges the importance of trees and encourages tree planting for the betterment of our environment. The idea of National Arbor Day was birthed in 1872 by Nebraska newspaper editor J. Sterling Morton, who had an interest in trees and advocated for planting more of them. Once Morton became secretary of the Nebraska territory, he proposed that National Arbor Day become a national holiday at a State Board of Agriculture meeting.
Arbor Day was officially proclaimed in 1874 by Nebraska’s Governor, Robert W. Furnas. It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day. Many other states also passed legislation to observe Arbor Day each year. By 1920, more than 45 states and territories were celebrating Arbor Day. Today, Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states, including Tennessee, which has 14 million acres of forests that make up 52% of the state’s landscape.
NES understands the important role trees play in the health of our region’s ecosystem. While NES trims trees for safety and reliability purposes, we also invest in Nashville’s tree canopy through tree planting. Since our Tree Planting program began in 1989, NES has planted more than 65,000 trees and has contributed to thousands of plantings in the greater Nashville area through our corporate partnerships with local advocacy groups like Nashville Tree Foundation, Cumberland River Compact and Nashville Tree Conservation Corps. NES employs six full-time certified utility arborists who ensure tree health by following specific pruning techniques around power lines. Additionally, NES actively participates in community tree planting events throughout the year.
If you’re interested in celebrating Arbor Day, here are some ways to get involved:
- Plant a tree. Planting the right tree in the right place helps prevent outages caused by limbs growing into power lines, and reduces the need for tree trimming in the future. Before planting, NES encourages customers to call 811 to learn where underground lines, pipes and cables are buried in their yards.
- Volunteer with a local tree-planting organization. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people and make a difference in your community.
- Choose a public park or downtown area to clean up. Plant trees, flowers and shrubs to beautify the area even more. Ask residents within the area to help with the cleanup and encourage everyone to maintain the area once the work is done.
- Organize a tree identification hike. This could take place in a park, at a nearby forest or along the streets of the community. Ask girl scouts and boy scouts to serve as guides.
For a full list of Arbor Day events happening in Tennessee, click here.
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