Arbor Day

Every Tree Counts: Celebrate trees at the Arboretum and in your community

Illinois observes Arbor Day on the last Friday in April—in 2012 it was April 27.

We celebrate Arbor Day because trees are essential to our lives, from the very air we breathe to their calming force on our minds and communities. So, each Arbor Day, families and neighbors plant thousands of trees. Every year, those trees grow a little taller, and the people who planted them feel a little prouder.

Trees Are Treasures

This Arbor Day, The Morton Arboretum, supported by the City of Chicago, suburban communities, Morton Salt Co., BMO Harris Bank, and The Davey Tree Experts, hung green value tags on several thousand trees.

Beginning April 23, look for them in downtown Chicago and in seven communities: Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Lombard, Wheaton, Downers Grove, Lisle and Naperville.

Learn more about the value of trees!

NEW! Want a Tree Tagging Kit for Your Community?
Find out the value of your own trees...and celebrate them with tags any time of year!

Each kit contains: 11x17 inch weather resistant tags (made from recycled materials!), measuring tape, twine for hanging tags, marker, web links for tree I.D. assistance, and activity instructions.

How Can You Celebrate Arbor Day? 

PLANT A TREE
Planting and protecting trees has never been more important. As climate change transforms our world, healthy, long-lived trees can remove climate-warming carbon dioxide from the air and keep it safely locked away.

• Find tree seedlings
• Learn how to plant a tree
• Choose your tree
• Plant trees for energy savings (.pdf)
  

VISIT THE ARBORETUM
We've got a great line-up of Arbor-icious activities to help you celebrate trees!

• Contact the Arboretum Volunteer Office for ways to volunteer in our woodlands and other areas of the Arboretum
• Check out the Sterling Morton Library for tree information
• Learn about the 2010 Tree Census and how the Arboretum is studying our urban forest

BRING ARBOR DAY TO YOUR SCHOOL
Arbor Day is traditionally celebrated by planting trees with school children. Contact your school, municipal public works department, or park district for a tree for planting at the school or other public location. Or, they may provide seedling trees for children to plant on their own.

• Arbor Day resources for K-12 teachers
• Learn about the history of Arbor Day

CELEBRATE IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Observe Arbor Day by planting trees in your community. Each of the 186 Tree City USA communities in Illinois holds a public Arbor Day celebration—your community may have one as well. Schools, libraries, businesses, garden clubs, and tree and environmental boards and commissions often co-sponsor local celebrations.

• Is your city a Tree City USA? 
• Get kids involved in your Arbor Day event