Written by Lauren James Budhu
Our planet is amazing, isn’t it? Earth rockets around the sun at 67,000 mph. It is the only planet in our solar system known to support life because of oxygen and water. To celebrate our home and keep it thriving, people from all over come together on both Earth Day and Arbor Day, held on April 22nd and April 26th of each year. Both days are all about treasuring our precious planet.
Earth Day started back in 1970, when Senator Gaylord Nelson wanted to bring awareness to environmental protections. Thus, Earth Day was born. More than 20 million Americans demonstrated across the United States that spring and then the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created to help tackle environmental issues. It worked!.
The holiday has transformed over the years – in 1990, Earth Day went global with more than 200 million people in 140 nations celebrating. In 2000, Earth Day extended even further, with people across 184 nations and 5,000 environmental groups involved. Today, more than 1 billion people celebrate, making it the largest secular civic event in the world.
Much like Earth Day, Arbor Day celebrates nature with a purpose to encourage people to plant trees. Many places take this opportunity to organize tree-planting and litter-collecting events on or around the holiday. The idea for the annual holiday came from tree lover Julius Sterling Morton who had a passion for planting trees of all varieties. He said, “Other holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the future.” Well said.
The first Arbor Day happened on April 10, 1872, in Nebraska City, Nebraska. It’s estimated that nearly 1 million trees were planted that day. According to Almanac.com, by 1885 Arbor Day had become a legal holiday in Nebraska. On April 22nd, which honored Morton’s birthday, thousands of Nebraska City citizens turned out for one big party, including 1,000 children who formed a parade. Within 20 years of its creation, the holiday was celebrated in every American state except Delaware, which eventually joined in.
Celebrating our planet is now more important than ever. Due to the impacts of global warming, we are experiencing extreme weather, rising sea levels, extinction, and so many other things. Earth Day and Arbor Day allow for our collective communities to reflect on this beautiful place we call home, and how we can work together to try to save it.
So, how can you celebrate these momentous annual holidays?
- Volunteer with EarthDay.org
- Find an event near you
- Plant your own tree
- Donate to the Arbor Foundation
- Make your voice heard with legislative action
See other ways to be part of the celebration and take care of our planet Earth!
