Arbor Day is a festival in which some countries publicize the protection of trees according to law and mobilize the masses to participate in afforestation. According to the length of time, it can be divided into Arbor Day, Tree Planting Week or Tree Planting Month, which are collectively called International Arbor Day. Through this activity, people's enthusiasm for afforestation is stimulated.
In ancient China, there was a tradition of inserting willows and planting trees in Tomb-Sweeping Day. The earliest roadside tree planting in the history of China was initiated by Wei Xiaokuan of Shaanxi more than 400 years ago. Wei Xiaokuan (508-580 AD) was a famous soldier in the Western Wei and Northern Zhou Dynasties. He was born in Jingzhao Ling Du (now southeast of Xi 'an). According to the record of Zi Tong Zhi Jian, in the second year of the Western Wei Dynasty (A.D. 552), Wei Xiaokuan was named as the secretariat of Yongzhou for his outstanding exploits. Since ancient times, an earthen platform has been erected on the roadside every other mile on the official road as a mark for calculating road mileage, which is now a milestone. After Wei Xiaokuan took office, he found that Tutai had many shortcomings. It is easy to collapse after being weathered by the wind and the sun, especially by the rain, and needs frequent maintenance, which not only increases the expenditure of the country, but also makes the people suffer from hard work, which is time-consuming, laborious and inconvenient. After investigation and understanding, Wei Xiaokuan resolutely ordered all the places where earthen platforms were set on Yongzhou Road to replant a locust tree instead of earthen platforms. In this way, it not only does not lose its marking and sliding functions, but also provides shelter for pedestrians and does not need maintenance. Wei Xiaokuan's practice is undoubtedly an important measure to benefit Mulberry, reduce the burden on the people in his hometown and benefit the country and the people. Shaanxi, as the earliest place to plant trees on official roads in history, was once a model of road greening in China. Sophora japonica, which was first planted in Wei Xiaokuan, has been deeply loved by people for thousands of years, especially Shaanxi people, who have a special liking for this kind of Sophora japonica and are very fond of it and widely planted. Now this locust tree has been identified as a city tree as a symbol of Xi.
The modern Arbor Day was first initiated by Nebraska.
19 century ago, Nebraska was a bare wasteland with few trees, strong winds and yellow sand all over the sky, and people suffered greatly. 1872, Julius Sterling Moreton, a famous American agronomist, proposed to stipulate Arbor Day in Nebraska to mobilize people to plant trees in a planned way. At that time, the state agricultural bureau adopted this proposal through a resolution, and the governor personally stipulated that the third Wednesday of April would be Arbor Day every year. After making this decision, millions of trees were planted that year. In the following 16 years, 600 million trees were planted one after another, eventually turning the 654.38+10,000 hectares of wilderness in Nebraska into dense forests. In recognition of Moreton's achievements, 1885, the state legislature officially designated April 22nd, Mr. Moreton's birthday, as the annual Arbor Day, with one day off.
Arbor Day was first established in modern times in Nebraska, USA. 10 April 10, Moreton put forward the proposal of setting up Arbor Day at a meeting held by the Nebraska Garden Association. The state adopted Moreton's suggestion and designated April 10 as the state's Arbor Day. In 1932, the state issued the world's first Arbor Day stamp with two children planting trees.
In the United States, Arbor Day is a national holiday, and there is no unified national date. But every April and May, every state in the United States organizes Arbor Day activities. For example, Rhode Island stipulates that the second Friday in May is Arbor Day, which is a day off. Other states have fixed dates, and some temporarily decide the date of Arbor Day by the governor or other state government departments every year. Whenever Arbor Day comes, people from all walks of life, mainly students, form a mighty army of tree planting and devote themselves to tree planting activities.
According to statistics, 1/3 of the United States is covered by forest trees, which is inseparable from Arbor Day.