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ARBOR DAY – April 26, 2002

Arbor Day is a special holiday on which we celebrate tree planting and taking good care of our natural resources. The word "Arbor" means "trees." Because trees play such important roles in each of our lives it's only fitting that we set aside a time each year to plant trees and celebrate.

The "Roots" of Arbor Day
Arbor Day was the idea of J. Sterling Morton. In 1872, Morton helped start a new holiday in Nebraska dedicated to tree planting. It's estimated that more than one million trees were planted on the first Arbor Day. Morton's idea quickly spread. Today, Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states and in many other countries. Nevada celebrates Arbor Day the last Friday on April each year, the same date as National Arbor Day. Eighteen million trees are planted every year!