Celebrate Arbor Day

   
Arbor Day is a worldwide tree-planting holiday that has been celebrated in Wisconsin since 1883. Though the holiday is observed on different dates according to planting conditions and local custom, Wisconsin’s official Arbor Day is the last Friday in April.

Four easy steps for a happy Arbor Day

1. Celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree and committing yourself to its care.
   Use this family-based activity [PDF] to learn how to properly plant and care for your seedling or learn how to plant and care for your landscape tree [PDF]
2. Catch the Arbor Day spirit.
   
   • Read and print the Governor’s Arbor Day and Forest Appreciation Week Proclamation [PDF]. It recognizes the many ways trees and forests not only improve our communities and our land but provide many of our everyday needs.
   • Share this flyer [PDF] that shows how to plant a seedling and describes the benefits of trees.
   • Say "thank you" to the landowners, foresters and other professionals who take good
     care of the forests in Wisconsin.
3. Use music to celebrate your tree planting event.
   • Watch the "Why Plant Trees?" video [exit DNR].
   • Listen to the "Why Plant Trees?" song [AUDIO 3:36].
   • Read the lyrics to "Why Plant Trees?" [PDF].
4. Join Wisconsin Tree City USA’s communities.
   Check to see if your city is recognized [exit DNR] as a Tree City USA.

Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods, and poets. To plant a pine, one need only own a shovel.

Aldo Leopold, forester, ecologist, educator and author of A Sand County Almanac

Activities

Be forest smart! Try these ready-to-use activities and lessons at home with family, in the classroom or at home-school.

• A history of Arbor Day [PDF].
• Learn how to raise oak trees from seed [PDF].
• Forest-opoly [PDF], a fun way to explore the basics of sustainable forestry.
• How is a log used? [PDF]
• How much do you know about the trees and forest products in your home? Investigate and find out [PDF].

Quizzers and crossword puzzles

• Forest wildlife quizzer [PDF]
• Sugar maple quizzer [PDF]
• My favorite forest animal [PDF] - crossword
• My favorite tree [PDF] - crossword

Lesson plan for grades 5 through 8

• Discover how trees grow and function [PDF] - Lesson highlights a tree's form and function and the process of photosynthesis. Special thanks to the Arbor Day Foundation.

More information

• Arbor Day resources from the National Arbor Day Foundation [exit DNR]
• Growing Oak Trees from Acorns [PDF]
• Tree identification sites and resources
• Tree planting for climate change
• WI K-12 Urban Forest Lesson Guide, UWSP LEAF [exit DNR]

Learn more about ways to Connect with DNR.