Looking Back on 150 Years of Arbor Day

This Saturday, April 29, Arbor Day is celebrating its 150th year, and at Ben & Annie’s Trees for Tomorrow, we wanted to take a look back at the organization that played a part in helping our own non-profit come to life. Arbor Day and the Arbor Day Foundation have been huge influencers for our team, and with 150 years of Arbor Day just around the corner, we wanted to take a look back at everything the organization has been able to accomplish throughout that time. 

Taking a look back 

In 1872, the first Arbor Day celebration took place in Nebraska City, Nebraska, and an estimated 1 million trees were planted in that single day—a huge feat even by today’s standards. J. Sterling Morton was the man behind Arbor Day, and with his work, he created a worldwide phenomenon that helped educate millions of individuals on how important this work truly is for the environment and for their communities. 

After beginning his career in politics soon after arriving in the state of Nebraska, J. Sterling Morton soon began to dive deeper into his conservation interests as well before deciding to leave politics altogether—eventually leading up to his desire to create the first official Arbor Day event. 

Ten years later, the Arbor Day Foundation was officially formed in order to create a consistent message and further make an impact on the larger community. Throughout the coming years, the Arbor Day Foundation began creating different organizations such as Tree City USA in order to further promote the work they were doing to help their community and invite others to see how they could begin helping their own communities as well. In 1977, the organization began offering memberships, and today, has over one million members around the world dedicated to the cause of creating a better future for ourselves and the planet. 

With the Arbor Day Foundation created out of the shared vision that so many had after J. Sterling Morton’s first Arbor Day celebration—the world has become a better place because of it. After 150 years, Arbor Day has continued to grow into something even bigger than anyone could have imagined—and the work won’t be stopping anytime soon. 

Help make a difference

At Ben & Annie’s Trees for Tomorrow, our company began out of a love for the planet and a desire to help our communities grow into something better. Arbor Day has been a huge part in how we live our lives and how we continue our work—and we love having the opportunity to share its story and meaning with those around us. Our mission has always been and will always be to help promote a healthier life and environment for those in our community and around the world—and we hope that this Arbor Day, you find some time to do what you can to help continue the mission that J. Sterling Morton started. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the work we do around Central Texas or if you want to know how you can become a part of the work that we do—give us a call at (210) 670-5297 or fill out our online form today