1. The holiday began with journalist Julius Sterling Morton, who moved from Detroit to Nebraska in 1854. At the time, the wide open spaces of the west weren’t working out so well for pioneers — the shadeless prairie was hot in the summer, with few windbreaks to keep tilled soil from blowing right into Kansas. The solution? Plant a tree.Morton rose to become the state secretary, and helped establish the first Arbor Day on April 10, 1872. More than 1 million trees were planted across the state that day.

2. J. Sterling Morton, who founded Arbor Day, built a family home that looked like the White House. Today the home and its 65 acres are known as Arbor Lodge and is now a state park. It is a 52 room mansion with over 250 different types of shrubs and trees.

3. On April 22, 1885 Arbor Day became a legal holiday in Nebraska, the state where it originated. 1000 children formed a parade on that day.

4. Arbor Day was almost named Sylvan Day. Arbor Day was chosen because arbor represented forest and fruit trees while sylvan only represented forest trees.

5. Hawaii and Alaska celebrate Arbor Day on in November and April respectively due to their different planting seasons.

6. America’s national tree is the oak. The National Arbor Day Foundation put it to a vote in 2004, and Congress made it official. The redwood was a top contender and came in second place.

7. The National Arbor Foundation estimates that its donations have funded the planting of more than 20 million trees in forests since 1990.

Happy Arbor Day! Go hug a tree!

Facts From: www.softschools.com, www.ibtimes.com, www.livescience.com