Archived News Release: April 24, 2017 - This year, the City of Ann Arbor's Elizabeth Dean Fund Committee will commemorate Arbor Day with a tree planting with students from Slauson Middle School on Friday, April 28, 2017. The students will assist in planting several street trees along Crest Avenue; activities will begin at 11 a.m. The City of Ann Arbor is celebrating its 36th consecutive year as Tree City USA, a designation given by the Arbor Day Foundation. The Tree City USA program recognizes communities that invest in and manage their urban and community forest resource.
Arbor Day was founded by J. Sterling Morton, who developed a life-long love of trees during his boyhood in Michigan. After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1854, Morton and his wife, Carrie, moved to Nebraska. The tree-less plains of Nebraska didn't feel like home to them, so they started planting trees. Through Morton's efforts, the first Arbor Day was celebrated on April 10, 1872, with the planting of over 1 million trees in Nebraska. This was the beginning of an annual celebration of trees, which is now observed across the country and world-wide.
Arbor Day was first celebrated in Michigan in 1885. In 1966, Governor George Romney proclaimed the last week in April as Arbor Week and the last Friday in April as Arbor Day. Recognizing the importance of trees to the environment and how much their beauty enriches our lives, Governor Rick Snyder has continued this tradition in the footsteps of all the Michigan governors since Romney. "Trees provide many benefits to all of us, every day," states the Arbor Day Foundation. "They provide cooling shade, block cold winter winds, attract birds and wildlife, purify our air, prevent soil erosion, clean our water and add grace and beauty to our homes and communities." To learn more ways to celebrate Arbor Day, visit arborday.org.
The Elizabeth Dean Fund Committee is responsible for reviewing public tree planting and maintenance projects and making recommendations to Ann Arbor City Council on allocation of funds from the Elizabeth R. Dean Trust. For more information on the Elizabeth Dean Fund Committee, please visit a2gov.org/urbanforestry.
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